After the Kiss
by ivorykeys09
Summary: Dan/Blair. What happened after the kiss? And when Serena & Chuck search for Blair?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello again! I really enjoyed writing that last one-shot, so I wrote another! This is my take (wish) on what happens after the Dan/Blair kiss. Enjoy! (and sorry if there are any typos. I read through it, but you never know.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gossip Girl.

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"Oh for crying out loud Humphrey," Blair said, _finally _crashing her lips against his. At first Dan felt it was almost painful the way she pulled him so forcefully against her, but all thoughts went out the window quickly.

He didn't know what kind of kiss it would be. How quick. How deep.

_Yeah_...It became pretty deep, pretty quickly. Once Dan was over the initial shock of Blair Waldorf _actually_ kissing him, (_Dan Humphrey!_), he outlined her soft lips with his tongue and she finally opened her mouth for him.

Blair couldn't believe it. This kiss, _their_ kiss was...it was hard to explain. It felt like they were both bottles, holding in the past four years of their "friendship," and this kiss was the cork that finally opened it. _Everything_ was thrust into this kiss, and Blair knew once she moaned into his mouth and felt his fingers tangle in her hair that their so-called "bottle" could never be sealed again.

_Ever._

He kept kissing her, and she kept kissing him back until the very last second. To a point where if Blair didn't take a breath, she would probably suffocate in his mouth. They both pulled away at the same time, awestruck, dumbfounded...and so very confused. They just stared at each other, barely breathing and completely silent. Dan's eyes looked different to her. His whole body looked completely different to her. How could _one_ kiss do that? _And why do I want to kiss him again?_

Dan stepped forward, closing the distance. He reached up once again and put her sleeve back in its place on her shoulder, because apparently it had fallen again. The same heat that Blair felt just two minutes before when he made the same gesture radiated through her body. She felt herself losing her patience once again by his slow movements. Frankly, it was becoming rather annoying, and she made a mental note to scold him about it later. _She_ didn't want to kiss _him_ again. She wanted _him_ to kiss _her._

_Okay, that's a lie._ She just really, really wanted to kiss him again. _I don't care how it happens._

Finally, at a _glacial_ pace, he brought his hands up to hold her head, and leaned in to kiss her. He stopped, however, when the intercom spoke, and Blair nearly cried in frustration.

"Miss Blair, Mr. Bass and Ms. Van der Woodsen are on their way up to see you," came the voice.

It was in that moment that Blair no longer felt guilty about giving the doorman instructions to do this. Yes, she was glad for the notice. But in that second Blair found herself almost fuming that it stopped whatever Dan was about to do to her.

Dan's eyes were wide in alarm, hands still holding her head. They were both frozen in fear; not even their desire in that moment could have melted it.

Thinking quickly, knowing they had all but thirty seconds to hide, Blair grabbed his hand and led him upstairs. All Dan was thinking while climbing the staircase was, _Oh my god, Blair's holding my hand_ and _Damn, she can run in heels._ She led him into her bedroom and closed the door. Dan watched as she continued to look around frantically, only freezing when she heard the elevator _ding _downstairs.

They both listened intently at the voices below. "Blair?" Chuck's voice called. It sounded like he was running around the first floor searching for her. There was another sound that traveled through the walls that Blair couldn't decipher. It was only when Serena called for her name too that she realized the sound was her pumps echoing off the marble.

They both heard Chuck and Serena's heels pound up the stairs. Blair gasped and grabbed Dan's hand again, pulling him into her closet and shutting the door.

"This is your closet?" Dan whispered through the pitch black, clearly impressed by the size. If Blair hadn't been so goddamn terrified in that moment, she probably would have laughed.

"Shh!" She shushed him, trying to make out how close her friends were. She heard muffled voices that were far too loud for her liking. _ They must be close._

Blair reached out for Dan, feeling for him in the dark. She finally felt his jacket and traced down his arm for his hand. She clasped his hand in hers and led him deeper into the closet.

All of a sudden Dan said, "Ow!" and Blair wished she could seen where his face was, so she could clasp her hand over his mouth.

"Dan!" Blair whispered harshly, hoping he got the point.

"I'm sorry a hanger hit my eye Blair," he said, voice thick with sarcasm.

Blair immediately felt guilty, but didn't show it. "Daniel, it may be dark right now, but just so you know, I'm glaring at you."

He chuckled softly. "Guess what face I'm making."

Blair rolled her eyes. "Now is not the time for games, Humphrey."

He smirked through the darkness. "I'm just trying to calm you down. Get your mind off of them."

Blair smiled this time, knowing his plan was working a little. But that quickly passed. All this talking had distracted her so much she didn't know where Serena and Chuck were. _They could be in my room for all I know._

"Blair?" Chuck's voice called again, opening her bedroom door.

_Yup, they are._

"B? Are you here?" Serena's voice said. "Chuck, she's not in the bathroom or my bedroom."

Chuck sighed audibly. "Where could she be? Wasn't she at the party, like, a half hour ago?"

"Yeah, but I don't know where she went," Serena replied. "Here, let me call Dan and ask if he saw her leave."

Chuck scoffed, "Why would _he_ know?"

"I don't know, Chuck," Serena said, growing impatient at him. "It won't hurt to call."

It was silent for a moment before Dan's phone began to vibrate, making Blair's heart _literally_ stop. Dan rustled quickly and quietly for his phone, before pressing a button to make it stop vibrating. Blair let out a breath and pinched his arm. Even through the darkness, Dan _swore_ could see Blair's death glare.

"He's not answering," Serena said. "I'll text him."

A moment passed before Dan's phone lit up, allowing him to see a glimpse of Blair's face. She looked scared shitless.

_where r u? have u seen B?_

Blair grabbed his phone before he could reply. Her fingers moved across the keyboard quickly.

_at the movies. cant text. havent seen B._

When Blair handed him back the phone, he could feel her fingers shaking. He took her hand to stop it and she gave him a small smile in gratitude.

"He hasn't seen her. He's at the movies." Serena's voice said, bringing Blair and Dan's focus back to the door.

"Of course he is," Chuck said with a hint of disgust in his voice. He sighed again. "Here's what we'll do. You go to the Palace and see if she's there. Maybe she went looking for you. This whole thing with your mother is probably all over Gossip Girl by now."

"Okay, but what will you do?" Serena said, sounding hesitant.

"I'm staying here until she comes back."

Blair gasped quietly in the closet.

"Chuck, no," Serena said, prompting Blair to breathe a sigh of relief. "I'll stay here. _You_ go."

"Fine," Chuck answered roughly. "Call me when you hear anything."

"I will."

They heard Chuck leave and Blair held her breath until she heard the slight muffle of the elevator doors closing below. Still, Serena moving about her room still made her nervous. It sounded as if she was looking through papers on her desk to find clues to where she could be.

Blair felt Dan lower himself until he was sitting on the floor. He gently squeezed her hand and pulled her down as well. She sat in down front of him, their knees touching, and their clasped hands resting in the middle of them. He let go of one hand, much to her silent protest, and felt around for something. A moment later, his face lit up. He was holding his cell phone below his chin, illuminating only his face. His eyes were wide, and he looked as if he were telling a scary story at a campfire.

Blair immediately laughed out loud, quickly covering her mouth with her hands. She continued to laugh quietly, and she saw Dan's "scary face" break into a smile.

"Shh," he said, bringing a finger up to his lips and clearly mocking her.

Blair bit her lip, trying to stop herself from laughing again. She didn't know if Serena was still in her room or not, but at this point, she really didn't care. _Is it getting hot in here?_

Dan's phone lit up again, and Blair watched as he fooled around with it. His face grew serious, and Blair quickly took the phone wondering what he was looking at.

She restrained herself from laughing when she saw what it was. He was playing Solitaire. _Solitaire!_

"Can I play?" Blair whispered.

"Sure. But I'm awesome." Dan said, smirking.

"Okay, let's time each other. Fastest one to finish wins," Blair said, sounding _way_ too excited.

Dan looked at his watch. "Okay...ready...go."

Blair's fingers worked quickly. Dan was impressed by how fast she seemed to be lining up the cards, especially on a phone. He smirked thinking about Blair secretly playing Solitaire in one of her meetings or class.

Three minutes later, Blair finished. "Done!" She said in a whispered shriek.

"Not bad, Waldorf. Three minutes and forty-one seconds," Dan said, making Blair smile in defeat.

Blair took off his watch. Her body immediately reacted to the contact, but she brushed passed it. "Alright, Humphrey. Ready...go."

Dan immediately got to work. Peering at the phone, Blair smiled at his lack of progress. _I am _so_ winning this one._

However, soon enough, Dan started figuring out the cards. He was working quickly, and Blair started to get nervous. Her heart sped up as the clock was nearing her time, and Dan had three cards to go. At three minutes and forty seconds, Dan whispered, "Done!"

"Noooo!" Blair yelled, _completely_ forgetting where they were and who they were hiding from.

Dan's heart stopped, so he did the only thing he thought of.

Kiss her.

In an instant, and as gently as he could, he pulled Blair against his lips. She immediately stopped talking and deepened the kiss.

Once she felt his tongue against hers, she realized how much she _really_ wanted to kiss him this entire time. And how much she missed it. The game of Solitaire long forgotten, Dan pulled her onto his lap, so she was straddling him. He kissed down her cheek and moved down her neck, leaving a trail of fire on her skin. The lust and desire and attraction in the closet was on full overdrive. The darkness made it much more romantic and secluded, and they both let each other forget what was waiting for them on the other side of the door.

Blair was soon overheating and sighed into Dan's mouth, before they were on her shoulders and covering every inch of her collarbone. His lips were back on hers and without stopping for a breath, Blair pushed him so that he was lying on the ground. He groaned when his head hit a shoe, and Blair chuckled into his mouth.

"So...many...shoes," he somehow said between kisses.

"Humphrey...stop...talking," she replied, lips never leaving his.

The sounds of their fiery kisses and occasional moans of pleasure muffled by the clothing around them turned them on even more. Blair's heart sped up once again when she felt Dan's warm hands crawl under her dress and she gasped when he gripped her thighs. He was, once again, moving her dress up at a _glacial_ pace, and before he could get it off, they were interrupted once again.

"Mees Blair?" Dorota's voice called.

Dan's hands stilled and Blair pulled her mouth away from his. She dropped her head in frustration, burying it in the crook of his neck. They ignored Dorota, and _right_ as Blair leaned down to capture his lips again, his phone went off.

"Mother of god Humphrey. Turn that _off_," Blair said, in a voice both full of lust and annoyance.

Dan read the text and groaned in frustration. "It's my dad. He needs me to meet him at home."

Blair sighed. "You have to go."

Dan paused for a beat, hesitating. "Yeah," he said finally. "Although I would pay someone a million bucks to let me stay."

"Don't joke, Humphrey. You don't have a million bucks," she teased.

He kissed her smirk softly and then pulled away. "Want to come with?"

She leaned her head down and buried it in his neck again. She kissed it briefly, before mumbling, "I can't."

"Because..."

"Because if I go anywhere with you, all I'm going to be thinking about is what would have happened if your phone didn't go off," she said in a quiet voice.

"And is that a bad thing?"

She sighed. "Do I have to spell it out Humphrey? No, it's not a bad thing. If you really need to hear me say it..."

"You wouldn't be able to keep your hands off me?" Dan interrupted with a sly grin.

She sighed, "Yes. Okay? Satisfied?"

"Very." He sat up so that she was still straddling his lap and kissed her again. In a matter of seconds, they were both gasping for breath, and Dan willed himself to pull away. "If I don't leave now, I'll never leave."

Blair brought a soft finger down his cheek. "I don't want you to go."

Dan's heart warmed and he couldn't help but kiss her again. "I won't be long. How about you go to the loft and pick out a movie? I'll meet you there. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed with a kiss.

She got off his lap and stood up, taking his hand in hers. They both sighed in relief when they opened the door to an empty room. Serena had left a note on the desk saying that she would be at the Palace. Blair looked at Dan, both completely amazed with what had just transpired and how they were never caught.

Dan kissed her again and quickly went downstairs to the elevators, leaving Blair with that stereotypical "love-struck" teenage grin on her face. She didn't care how ridiculous it looked.

She was far too happy.

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**A/N: **Reviews make me happy! :) Should I continue it or leave it as it is?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow! I am completely overwhelmed by the response to this! Thanks so much for all your reviews/alerts! I am still unsure of how long this whole story will be, but I like where it's going.

I hope you are happy with this chapter...and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl.

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Sitting in the taxi ride to The Palace, Dan's mind was overwhelmed with thoughts. First and foremost: _What the hell just happened?_

Second: _How will we ever be able to explain this?_

And third: _Why the _fuck_ am I on my way to The Palace?_

He was _so incredibly_ tempted to tell the driver to turn around and go to the Loft, where easily the most amazing woman he had ever (_ever_) kissed would be. Never in a million years did he think anyone would come close to Serena. Shaking his head, he couldn't believe how wrong he was. Serena was the high school awards ceremony; Blair was the Academy Awards.

Plus the Olympics.

Plus the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony.

_(times a million)._

The only thing stopping him was Rufus. He knew these next few weeks would be difficult with the whole Lily thing, and when it came down to it, his dad rarely asked for anything. He would be back with Blair soon enough.

Dan wasted no time once the cab stopped in front of The Palace, paying the driver and getting in the elevator in thirty seconds flat. Once the doors opened, he heard Serena yell, "Blair?"

_Great. How the hell am I going to cover for her?_

He turned the corner and saw Serena's face drop. She let out a groan of frustration.

"Aw. I feel so welcome," Dan said sarcastically. Serena merely rolled her eyes in response.

"Dan, is that you?" Rufus said, walking into the living room, Eric following behind.

"Uh, yeah. I'm here Dad," he answered, giving a brief wave.

"Good." Rufus gave him a pat on the shoulder and then faced all three of them. "Okay guys. As you know, Lily turned herself in to the police. We made some calls and we're hoping to see a judge in the next few hours. For now, they're holding her there."

Serena and Eric sighed beside Dan. He looked back to Rufus. "Okay, so what do you need us to do?"

Rufus shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know Dan, I just thought I'd update you all."

Dan held up his hands in defense. "Okay, okay. I just didn't know if you needed me to do anything for you."

Rufus shook his head. "No, not right now." He paused. "Well, maybe you can update Jenny?"

Dan nodded. "Okay."

Serena cut in. "And maybe you can get that weird grin off your face. You look awfully happy for someone whose stepmother just got put in jail."

"_What?_" Dan asked far too quickly. "I don't know what you're talking about. What weird grin?"

Serena glared at him suspiciously. "That grin you've had on your face since you walked in here."

Dan's heart started to pound. "I don't know Serena. The movie I just saw was really good." He hoped that sounded as convincing as it needed to be.

Serena continued to stare him down, making him very uncomfortable, so he distracted her. "Where's Chuck?"

"Yeah, where is he Serena?" Rufus echoed.

She shrugged. "I don't know. He was here until not too long ago. I don't know where he went."

Rufus looked at his watch. "Alright, well, will you call him? Fill him in on everything," he said, walking to put on his coat.

Serena nodded wordlessly. Then, "You know what Rufus? I think I'll come with you." She got off the couch grabbed her jacket and bag.

"Same," Eric said, following Serena to the elevator.

Rufus gave a warm smile. "Good idea. I'm sure you mother will be thrilled to see you."

They all looked at Dan expectantly. He waved them off. "If you don't mind, I think I'll sit this one out. If I went, I would probably just annoy you all."

Rufus gave him a look, but agreed. "Okay, son. I'll call you later."

They all stepped onto the elevator, but Serena gave him one _final_ suspicious glare before the doors closed.

_Thank god._

He looked at his watch and noticed it hadn't even been an hour since he left Blair. He waited a minute before pressing the elevator button.

**::**

Meanwhile, Blair was still in shock. She was _sure_ she looked like a robot, walking in a daze around her room as she changed to leave. This dress was becoming uncomfortable, and frankly, it wasn't the easiest thing to take off.

_Not that I'm thinking about that._

She walked into her closet and turned on the light. She stared around, amazed at how different it looked. From now on, every time she takes a dress of a hanger, she will think of Dan's eye running into it. Ever time she picks out a pair of shoes, she will think of Dan's head hitting it as she pushed him down in a passionate kiss. Her body warmed at the thought of that kiss, how quickly it escalated, and how Dan's hands felt on her legs. She blushed even though no one was watching and decided she must leave _now. _The leftover smell of Dan wafting through the closet and the memories they had left on every inch of the floor was making her dizzy. She literally ached to see him again.

She switched the cocktail dress with a softer, more casual one, unsure of what else she should wear, and swapped her heels for flats.

_Should I pack a bag? My toothbrush? _

Quickly, she decided against the bag and toothbrush. She didn't know what _this whole thing_ was, but she didn't want to show up assuming she would be spending the night. And quite honestly, she was getting ahead of herself.

_For god's sakes, we kissed _once_._

..._or twice._

_...four times?_

She lost count. All she knew was that it was not enough. She grabbed her purse and make-up (_just in case_) and left.

After what felt like the longest cab ride of her life, she finally made it to the Loft. Climbing the stairs, she panicked briefly at the thought of the doors being locked. They easily opened, though, and she sighed in relief.

She shut the door and examined the room. The first thing she saw was the couch, and her thoughts went immediately to the night she feel asleep on Dan's shoulder. _My, how different the circumstances are tonight._ Just like her closet had, the Loft looked different to her. She couldn't really explain it, but she felt as if it were almost like a larger version of her closet: a safe haven away from the realities of the world. _Where our secret is safe._

She smiled at the thought and took off her jacket. She immediately felt comfortable in the space, but she stood frozen in place, wondering what she should do. She knew Dan wouldn't mind, but she felt slightly uncomfortable with the thought of giving herself a tour without him. She looked over at the television and noticed the stack of DVDs beside it. She would get to that in a second.

She walked into the kitchen and opened a few cabinets, pleased to find a fairly good selection of food. She had barely eaten at Chuck's party, and she was absolutely starving. Blair smirked to herself when she found the popcorn right away. After popping a bag, she poured it into a bowl and placed it on the table in front of the couch. She grabbed a handful and dimmed the lights slightly, before walking over to examine the movies. He had an impressive selection, but she was at a complete loss.

_Action?_ No.

_Science-Fiction?_ Absolutely not.

_Horror?_ She laughed at the idea.

_Foreign?_ Maybe.

_Comedy? _Hmm...

Romance? She paused, wondering if a romantic movie would make it uncomfortable. Before, it didn't really matter what film they chose. Now, it seemed like every movie could be a metaphor for what they were.

It was too stressful to choose one, so she decided to wait for Dan. She was slightly alarmed by her lack of patience, but the more time that went by without him showing up, the antsier she got._ Where is he?_

**::**

Dan was more than a little aggravated. The cab driver had taken the _longest_ way possible, and Dan literally bit his lip the entire time to hold back from screaming at him. _Me? Screaming?_ That's what Blair Waldorf did to him.

He climbed the stairs so fast, he was surprised he didn't trip. Right before he opened the door he stopped. _What if she isn't here?_

It pained him to think she wasn't on the other side of the door- a little more than he cared to admit. Taking a deep breath, he smoothly opened the door, letting it close behind him. His eyes moved fast around the room, not stopping to look for any details other than a chestnut head of curls. When he didn't see her, he stepped back and leaned back against the door. _I really thought she would come._

"I thought I heard something," Blair's voice said. He watched in disbelief as she walked out of the bathroom. She. Was. Here.

"You're...here?" Dan said, not meaning to make it sound like a question.

Without hesitation, "Of course I am. Although, I could _very well_ be anybody else. You really shouldn't keep that door unlocked."

He shook his head and took off his jacket. "When I didn't see you, I just assumed..."

She chuckled, "Didn't you see my jacket?" She pointed to her coat on the chair _literally_ in front of him. "Or smell the popcorn?"

Dan stopped. "Well, I do _now_." Honestly, he felt like an idiot; the smell of popcorn was completely overwhelming and obvious.

No one moved. For about a minute, they stood and stared at each other, both slowly trying to figure out what was going on. If possible, she looked even more gorgeous than she did in the closet. Dan took the first step forward and saw Blair relax. He also spoke the first words.

"So..."

"So..." She echoed, a smile gracing her lips.

"Are you hungry?" He asked hesitantly. "Do you want me to make you something?"

Blair slowly nodded her head, eyes still glued to his. "Sure."

Dan took that as his clue to walk into the kitchen. He had to look away from her for a moment, because if he stared at her for one more second, he would rip off her clothes and take her right there on the counter. As much as he wanted to do that...

_God, how I want to do that_.

...He wanted to do _this_ right. Blair was still watching him, a little confused as to why he was standing frozen in the middle of the kitchen.

Dan cleared his throat. "Uhh, what are you in the mood for?" He opened the fridge and looked at the contents. When he turned around, he saw that she had made herself comfortable on one of the counter stools.

"Hmm...what do you have?" She asked.

Dan walked over and leaned on the counter across from her. In a voice that made him sound impeccably proper, he said, "Well, Ms. Waldorf. Tonight, the Humphrey Kitchen has leftover pizza, an assortment of pasta, _or_ the customer favorite: takeout menus."

Blair propped an elbow up the counter, resting her chin in her hand and hiding her smile. She squinted her eyes in thought, and tilted her head to the side. "Mmm...pasta sounds good."

"Pasta it is," Dan said, winking at her.

Blair rolled her eyes, but her smile never faltered. She watched as he put on a pot of water and opened a box of pasta.

"Would you like something to drink?" Dan asked, carefully place the pasta in the now- boiling water.

"I'll help myself," she said, feeling a little rebellious. She sauntered over to the fridge and opened it. She saw an assortment of beer and wine, but chose a water bottle instead. Dan was already making her lightheaded enough, and adding alcohol to the mix would probably send her over the edge.

As she turned to walk back to her seat, Dan's hands grabbed her waist and pulled her flush against him. Her breathing immediately quickened, as did her pulse, and her entire body went warm. The way he was looking at her...

She felt completely exposed, as if she surrendered over her soul, her mind...everything.

He leaned in slowly, and she held her breath. She never knew Dan Humphrey was such a tease, until he averted her lips and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. However frustrating it was, even _that_ made her almost melt in his arms. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt him smile against her cheek. A sizzling sound abruptly snapped them back to reality.

Taking a deep breath, Blair said, "The water is boiling over." Her eyes gestured to the pot. Dan sighed and let go of her. She immediately felt colder and (_naively_) cursed the pot. She reluctantly sat back on her stool while Dan strained the pasta. He took out a wok and poured the noodles in, covering them with olive oil. She was utterly mesmerized as she watched him take out some vegetables from the fridge and toss them in the pan, throwing in a dash of salt and pinch of garlic. Within a minute, the kitchen smelled divine and Blair's mouth was watering.

He put a serving on two plates and placed them on the counter. After grabbing water for him, and dimming the lights just a _touch_ more, he joined Blair.

He held up his water bottle, gesturing a toast. "To..." He let it trail off.

"To _this_," Blair finished with a smile.

Dan mimicked it and lightly tapped his bottle to hers, before they each took a sip. They both began eating, and once Blair took her first bite, she swore she died and went to heaven. "Mmm...this is _so_ good."

Dan smirked. "What can I say...I'm a man of many talents."

She bit her lip, trying to stop her smile. She failed. "I didn't realize you were capable of cooking something _other_ than breakfast food, Humphrey."

He shook his head. "Oh you have no idea Waldorf. I make a _mean_ chili. _And_ I'm pretty good at desserts."

Swallowing another bite, Blair perked up. "Oh, what sort of desserts?"

"I make a pretty good pie."

He hadn't even finished his sentence before Blair dropped her fork, clanging it against the plate. Dramatically, she put a hand over her heart and leaned her head back.

Still looking at the ceiling, she asked, "What kind?"

Thoroughly amused, Dan answered, "Uhh, well I've made a couple. Apple, blueberry, pumpkin..."

Her gasp cut him off. She pulled her head back up to look at him, the movement swaying her curls and making it _very_ hard for Dan to keep his hands off her. Feeling especially flirty, she said, "Humphrey, I have a soft spot for men who make pumpkin pie."

"Really?" He asked, raising a brow.

"Yup." She took another bite of her pasta, the flavor still completely impressive. Once they both finished their dinner, Blair happily got off the stool and carried their plates to the sink. "You wash, I dry?" She asked batting her eyelashes.

"Deal."

Comfortable silence ensued; the only sounds were the occasional clanking of plates and running water. Dan smiled. " You know, _technically_, doing the dishes together jumpstarted our friendship."

She stopped drying for a moment. "Oh wow. You're right...I guess it did." Dan smirked beside her and they were silent until they finished.

"Still up for a movie?" Dan asked, looking at the clock.

She nodded. "Yeah!"

"Okay, which one did you pick?"

Her face went a little red, making her look completely guilty. "I couldn't choose one."

"What?" He smiled and shook his head, teasing, "Waldorf, you had _one_ job to do."

She chuckled, "I know, I know. I just couldn't choose."

"No worries. I have one in mind anyway."

Ten minutes later, they were both side by side on the couch. Blair didn't really know what movie he put on because honestly, she could barely concentrate. He was _so_ close to her, she could feel his body heat making the right side of her body extremely hot, and the left side extremely cold. She involuntarily shivered, and Dan looked at her. "Are you cold?"

"A little," she said, feeling embarrassed for some reason.

He got off the couch and reached for her hand. "Follow me," he said smiling.

_Say no more_.

She took his warm hand and followed him into his bedroom, where he dropped her hand and went over to his dresser. She stopped in the doorway, examining the room. It was cozy and smelled like him. She liked it.

_The bed looks pretty comfortable too_.

"Here," he said, handing her and sweatshirt and flannel pants.

She raised her eyebrows, staring at the clothing in his hands.

"Don't take them too fast or they'll disappear," he teased.

She rolled her eyes and took the clothes. Neither moved, however, and they just continued staring at each other once again.

Dan couldn't take it anymore, and finally stepped towards her. He took the clothes out of her hands and threw them on the floor, before reaching up to hold her head and press his lips against hers.

Blair sighed into his mouth as he opened it and met his tongue with hers. When she heard him groan into her mouth, her knees went weak. The past...what...three hours?...had been far too long since they last kissed. Dan moved his hands down her back, landing on her hips. Her body felt so good against his, and he didn't know how he managed to wait this long.

Blair pulled away first, taking a breath and allowing Dan to kiss down her neck. She gasped when he found a particularly sensitive spot, and she immediately pulled his lips back on hers. After another minute, Dan pulled away and rested his forehead on hers.

"I've wanted to do that all night," he said, still catching his breath.

"Why the _hell_ did you wait so long?" She said, kissing him deeply again.

"I don't know, but I'll never do that again."

Blair laughed against his mouth. He reached up and tangled his fingers in her hair, and guided her over to his bed. Blair felt the back of her legs hit the mattress and her heart sped up.

_This is really happening_.

Just then, a knock echoed off the front door.

_Or not._

They both stared at each other in shock, and almost doubled over when they heard Serena's voice call, "Dan?"

"Oh fuck."

* * *

**A/N:** I know it's cruel to leave you there...but I had to stop writing. I have to be up at 6 AM to catch a flight (and it's 1 AM). My spring break officially started today...which means I will have lots of time to write. However, I am still unsure of my wi-fi situation, so I'm not sure if I will be able to update. :( I promise I will do whatever I can to update ASAP. _**Reviews make me happy! :) **_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Good news! I have internet! Thanks so much for your reviews/alerts/favorites. It was a lot of incentive to write this quickly. :) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl.

* * *

"_Oh fuck."_

Blair quickly got off the bed. "Where's your closet?" She whispered harshly.

Dan managed a small laugh. "Um, first: I don't have one. And second: I don't think it's a good idea to hide again."

"What do you mean you don't have a closet?" She said, sounding on the verge of tears.

Instead of responding, Dan simply pointed to his dresser.

"Dan?" Serena's voice came again.

A panicked Blair looked at Dan.

Dan gripped her shoulders gently. "Just follow me." Blair nodded and followed him out of his bedroom.

Serena was standing right inside the front door, looking completely surprised as she watched her friends appear.

"What the-" She paused and blinked. "Blair, what are _you_ doing here?"

Blair opened her mouth to answer, but Dan beat her to it. "She just came over to watch a movie."

Blair's head whipped in his direction and she somehow fought the urge to drop her jaw.

_Okay, he's going the honesty route._

Serena scoffed, "Movie? What does that even mean?"

"It means that I came over to watch a movie, Serena," Blair said slowly, wondering why that wasn't clear the first time Dan said it.

She still looked confused. "Blair, Chuck and I have been looking for you all night. He really needs to talk to you. He seems upset about something," she said seriously.

Blair furrowed her brows. "_Now_ he needs to see me? What is so important Serena?"

Serena looked at her in shock. "What is going on with you?" She turned to Dan. "And why the hell didn't you call and tell me she was here? You knew I was looking for her."

Dan held up his hands in defense, but didn't say anything. He didn't really know how to respond to that.

"And since when were you two _friends?_"

Blair looked at Dan, and then back at Serena. "I don't know...we started being nicer to each other over Christmas break."

Serena's eyes widened. "Christmas break?"

Dan answered, "Yeah. I mean, we _were_ the only people here Serena."

She shook her head. "So you're saying you didn't come on my road trip with me, and hung out with Blair instead?"

Dan sighed. "_No_...I didn't come on the road trip because we decided to be _just_ friends. It would have made things complicated."

"And why do you sound so offended that he and I have become friends?" Blair challenged.

Serena rolled her eyes. "I don't know B. Maybe because I've spent the past three years trying to get you to be nicer to each other, and now the moment I'm out of the picture, you're suddenly best friends?"

"Don't be so dramatic Serena, that's not why it happened," Blair said, getting more annoyed by the second.

Serena was silent for a moment. Then, "I don't even know where to start..." She looked at Dan. "I mean, first off, you lied to me about where Blair was..." She turned to Blair, "You ignore our calls and texts..." She let it trail off. "And while I'm at the police station where my mother is _in jail_, my best friend and ex-boyfriend are watching a movie?"

Dan frowned at her choice of "ex-boyfriend," but didn't say anything.

Blair sighed, "S, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. But this was just a completely innocent night. We were just watching a movie."

Serena's face softened for a moment, and Blair thought she had calmed down. "Wait..." Serena turned to the side, lost in thought. "What were you doing in his bedroom?"

Blair's heart started to beat nervously. She could practically hear Dan's too.

She tried to calm her shaky voice, but it didn't seem to work. "Umm...I was cold and Dan was giving me a sweater."

"Why didn't he bring it out here?"

Dan's silence didn't help their case, and Blair was sure her cheeks went a little red. "I don't know, he-"

Serena's quiet gasp cut her off and she backed up slowly. "Did something happen between you two?"

Blair was at a loss for words. "What? No-we..."

Serena drew another sharp breath. "Did you two _kiss?_"

"Serena, relax for a second. We can explain..." Dan said, seeing where this whole thing was going, and completely giving them away.

"Oh. My. God." Serena shut her eyes for a moment, but opened them a second later. "Were you two having sex?"

_Well, maybe, if you hadn't barged in..._

"What?" Serena said sharply.

_Oh my fucking god. I just said that out loud._

When Blair snapped back in the moment, she saw Dan looking at her in complete shock, his jaw practically on the floor. Serena looked like she was about to faint.

"Serena..." Dan started.

She interrupted him. "How could you do this to me?"

"Do this to you?" Blair repeated. "This has nothing to do with you!"

Serena let out a breath. "Are you fucking _kidding_ me Blair?"

Blair flinched and thankfully Dan spoke up.

"Hey, Serena calm down. And please don't think we did this-" He gestured between him and Blair. "To hurt you."

Serena's face dropped. "How long has this been going on?"

Blair shook her head. "S, it just happened." She paused for a beat and added, "Tonight."

"Oh my god." Serena looked at Dan. "Is that why you didn't come to the police station? Because you were too busy fucking Blair?"

"Serena!" Blair gasped.

Serena looked down, unsure of what else to say. When she finally looked up, she stared at them both with no emotion. "I can barely even look at you two anymore. On the _one_ night I needed you Blair, you weren't there. And Dan, I don't know if you're trying to prove some kind of point, or if this is all some big joke to you..."

"Prove a point?..." Dan said, confused.

"...but it isn't funny."

Dan looked at her in shock. "So it's okay for you to date an ex-con, but I can't date someone like Blair? That's real mature Serena," he snapped.

Lost for words, she turned and opened the door. Before she closed it, she turned around once more. "When you two wake up from this game you're playing and come to your senses, call me. Until then, I don't want to see either of you. And Blair, pick up the fucking phone and call Chuck before he leaves the country and never comes back." She slammed the door shut.

Dan and Blair stood silent, staring at the door. Without saying a word, Blair turned and walked back into Dan's room. Dan watched as she crawled onto the bed, lied down on her back, and put a pillow over her face. She had held in tears the entire time, but once she smelled the pillow, filled with Dan's scent, she burst into tears.

Dan had seen Blair at a vulnerable point before- in that white hallway after Serena stole her thunder yet again. And most recently, at the _W_ internship.

_Never_ had he seen Blair Waldorf cry. It affected him more than he thought it would.

Dan took it as his cue to crawl onto the bed next to her. He lied on his side and watched Blair quietly sob, unsure of what to say. After a few minutes, she took the pillow off of her face and stared at the ceiling. Her cheeks were wet and her breath was still uneven.

"What have we done?" She said in a voice thick with tears.

Dan sighed. "I really don't think we should beat ourselves up about this."

Fresh tears sprung in her eyes. "How can you say that? She'll never talk to me again."

He leaned across the bed and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Blair, before you kissed me tonight, did you think in your mind, 'Wouldn't it be fun to screw with Serena and hook up with Dan?'"

Despite her tears, she let out a small laugh. "Don't say 'hook up'. It sounds tacky."

Dan smirked. "Noted. But, answer me. Did you?"

"No," she said quietly.

"That's what I thought." He moved closer to her on the bed. "Blair, it's normal for people to break up and move on to other people. It's sucks as hell to accept it, but it's a part of life. Remember you were a mess when Chuck came back with Eva?"

She side-eyed him. "I was not a mess."

Dan side-eyed her in return. "Yes you were."

"That's besides the point." She turned on her side and faced him.

He gave a small smile. "All I'm saying is that you have to give her time. Also, it doesn't help that on the same night we kissed, Lily went to jail. She was still upset about that. It's all bad timing."

At this reminder, Blair started to cry again. "I should have been there for her."

"Blair, you're going to make yourself crazy if you keep thinking like that. Wasn't Serena the one who _ran away_ the one time you needed her? She up and went to boarding school. And in all honesty, your Dad suddenly admitting he was gay and moving to France is not on the same plane as Lily turning _herself_ in to the police."

This didn't seem to make Blair feel any better, so Dan pulled her towards him. She immediately buried her face in his chest and continued crying. "She hates us," she mumbled into his sweater.

"No she doe-" He stopped himself. "Okay, maybe it feels like that now. But she'll get over it Blair."

"What if she doesn't? I mean, was she right? _Are_ we crazy for doing this?"

This question scared Dan far too much. Panic rose in his chest at the thought of Blair walking out and never looking back at him. "Blair, look at me." She slowly arched her head to make eye contact with him. Her eyes were still rimmed with tears.

"I _really_ like this," Dan said softly. "The whole idea of you and me together...makes perfect sense to me."

Tears welled in her eyes again. "That's the worst part. I really like us too."

Dan chuckled, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. "See, in my eyes, that's the best part."

She closed her eyes for a moment, heart warming at the feel of his lips on her skin. When she opened them, he was studying her. Blair wasn't going to lie to herself; ever since Serena left, she had pretty much fallen apart. Instantly, Dan had put all of his feelings aside for the moment and completely focused on her. Not only that, but he did it without even thinking about it.

_That's who he is._

Blair gave a whisper of a smile and propped herself up on her elbows. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his, unsatisfied by just a kiss on the forehead. She pulled away before she got lost in the moment and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Thank you," she said against his skin.

"Anytime Waldorf," he said with a warm smile. He wrapped his arms around her body and felt her relax into him. "Aw man. You got mascara on my pillow Waldorf," he teased.

"I would say I'm sorry Humphrey...but I'm not. You needed new sheets anyway," she said scrunching her nose.

He scoffed, pretending to be insulted. "What are you talking about?"

"They aren't soft enough."

This made Dan smile. "Oh really? Well if you're going to be spending a lot of time in my sheets, then I guess I better get the softest kind out there."

Blair smirked and Dan kissed it. She immeditaly deepened it, sighing into his mouth, and realized that the only time she felt perfect all night, was when her lips were against his.

As much as Dan wanted this kiss to continue, he knew they would regret not stopping. He managed to pull his lips away. "Blair, it kills me to say this, but I don't want our first time to be after Serena just stormed out."

Blair nodded against his lips, yet said, "But I don't want to stop. Your lips feel too good." She continued kissing him.

Dan laughed against her mouth and then pulled away to kiss her ear. "I'm serious Blair," he whispered.

He heard her groan. "_Fine,_" she sighed.

"And I cant believe I'm going to say this too...but you need to call Chuck."

"What?" Blair asked, confused.

Dan brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Blair, I know you may feel like he doesn't deserve to talk to you, or whatever other reason. But if there really is something wrong, and you're the only person he can talk to, you have to go. Because if you don't, and he leaves or does something _really_ stupid, you'll never forgive yourself."

Blair closed her eyes and let out a breath. "Why do you have to be so painfully right all the time? It's starting to get on my nerves."

He chuckled. "Get used to it Waldorf. But in all honesty, you would say the same thing to me."

She sighed, knowing he was right. "I'm too comfortable to go."

Dan laughed and kissed her hair.

Blair continued, "And I'm too tired. This feels like the longest night of my life."

"I totally agree. But you should really call him tonight," he said.

She let out a tired sigh. Dan got off the bed and held out a hand for her. She reluctantly took it and followed him into the living room. He watched as she put on her jacket, laughing at how purposefully slow she was going.

_She's so stubborn sometimes._

She slung her purse over her shoulder and took his hand to walk outside. After he flagged her a cab, she turned and wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks again for tonight."

"We'll stick together through it, Waldorf. Even if everyone hates us for this and stops talking to us...I'll be here." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "Now get in the cab before I never let you go."

"Okay. I'll call you tomorrow," she said smiling.

"Okay. Night."

She waved through the window as the cab drove away. Then, for the first time all night, she looked at her phone. She missed a ridiculous amount of texts and calls- most from Chuck. She would be lying if she said the amount didn't worry her. She dialed him and put the phone to her ear.

"Chuck! I'm glad you answered. Where should we meet?"

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A/N: Hope you like this. Much more to come! **_Please review! :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks again for all of your reviews/alerts/favorites! Here's the next chapter...enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl.

* * *

"_Chuck! I'm so glad you answered. Where should we meet?"_

"Who isss thiss?" Chuck slurred on the other end.

Blair's heart dropped. She could practically smell the alcohol through the phone.

"Chuck where are you?" Blair demanded.

"Who isss thiss?" He asked again.

Blair leaned her head back against the seat and shut her eyes. Slowly, she said, "Chuck, it's Blair. Where. Are. You."

"The Emmpire," he slurred.

"Don't leave. I'm coming there, okay?" she said.

"I'mm at the Emmpire."

"Okay. Chuck, do you understand me? Don't leave," she said seriously. He was in absolutely no condition to go anywhere, let alone take care of himself.

"Okay. Okay. Oka-" Blair shut the phone to cut off his rambling. She picked up the phone again and immediately dialed Arthur. She sighed in relief when he answered.

"Ms. Waldorf, is everything alright?" Came the driver's voice.

"Yes, everything's fine Arthur. I apologize for calling so late." She looked at the clock on the taxi's dashboard. She nearly cried when she saw it was just after two in the morning.

"It's absolutely fine, Ms. Waldorf," Arthur replied. "What can I do for you?"

"Listen, something happened with Chuck and I'm on my way to see him. I need you to promise me that no matter how much money he offers you, or whatever other bribe he can come up with, that you will not drive him _anywhere_."

"Of course," Arthur agreed.

"No, I need you to promise."

The man chuckled. "I promise."

Blair said goodbye, feeling a little more relieved that there wasn't a possibility of an intoxicated Chuck running away.

During the quick ride to the Empire, she practically held her eyes open she was so tired. When she got there, she swiftly took the elevator up and entered the suite. It didn't take long to find Chuck. He looked awful; lying lazily on the couch, drink in hand. Even three feet away he reeked of alcohol.

"Blair! You came," he said in a sing-song voice.

Instead of responding, Blair tried to take the drink out of his hand. He kept a firm grip on it, however, and wouldn't let go. "Chuck, let go please." His fingers still wouldn't loosen, and when she tried to take it again, some spilled out, splashing on her dress. Blair closed her eyes and tried to will away the tears that were threatening to fall. She took a deep breath. "Chuck, let me have the glass so I can get you a refill."

He gave a tired smile and finally let go of it. She sighed and placed it on the bar. "Come on, Chuck. Let's go in your room." She tried to pull him up, but he felt like dead weight. "Please help me, Chuck. Stand up."

"Yeahhh, let's go on my bed Blair." He stood up, albeit wobbly, and leaned in to kiss her neck. She pulled away from him.

"Chuck, stop." She slowly guided him into his room and laid him down on the bed. When she walked away to get him a glass of water, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards the bed.

"Commme here, B."

She sighed, completely frustrated. But she gave in, knowing it was useless trying to fight with him. She sat down at his feet.

Slowly, she asked, "Chuck, what happened?"

He closed his eyes, "The fire."

"What fire?" Blair asked, incredibly confused.

"It...wasss...an accident." He sounded like he was drifting off to sleep. As much as he needed to sleep this off, she needed more information out of him.

"What was an accident?" She snapped her fingers in front of his face to keep him awake.

"Shhhe died," he slurred.

This made Blair's heart stop.

_What is he talking about?_

"Who died? Chuck, who died?" She asked him frantically.

He didn't answer; he was out cold.

Blair ran into the bathroom and grabbed the trashcan. She put it beside the bed on the floor just in case he got sick. Then, she practically ran into the other room to grab her purse. She picked up her phone and dialed Dan.

"Hello?" Dan answered, voice thick with sleep.

"Dan! It's me."

"Who?"

Blair nearly cried. "Stop, Humphrey. You know who it is."

He gave a sleepy laugh. "I'm kidding. What's up?"

She was on the verge of tears. "What's up? What's up is Chuck is so drunk he would probably blow up a breathalyzer, you are joking around with me at three in the morning like it's no big deal, I haven't slept in what must be twenty hours at this point, and I think Chuck killed someone."

"Woah. Slooow down, Waldorf. First off, I'm sorry for joking with you. Not cool. Second, we kind of knew Chuck was going to be drunk. Three, you're the crazy girl who never sleeps because she's so busy. And four, why do you think Chuck killed someone?"

As much as she tried not to, she was now crying. "Because he kept saying something about a fire and an accident. And that a girl died."

"Can you wake him up and ask him? Sometimes people can think clearly even _when_ they're drunk."

"What? No they can't. Have you ever even _been_ drunk?" Before Dan could even answer, she added, "Of course you have. You slept with Georgina."

"Hey now. The only reason why I slept with her was because I was drunk."

"That's precisely my point Humphrey! People do stupid things when their drunk!" Blair nearly shouted.

He chuckled. "Okay, you're right. But I still don't think he killed someone. That's seem too crazy, even for him."

Blair lied down on the couch, phone still pressed to her ear. After about thirty seconds, Dan asked, "Are you still there?"

"Yes," Blair said quietly, hoping it wasn't totally obvious that she was still crying.

"What's wrong?" came his calming voice, prompting new tears to form in her eyes.

She inhaled slowly, her breath hitching the whole way. "I'm so tired and I wanted this conversation with Chuck to be short." She took another breath. "And I don't want to be here all night, but I don't want to leave just in case he wakes up."

"Is that all?" He asked, knowing it wasn't.

"No." She wiped her eyes. "I can't go home because Serena's there. And she hates me. I just want to go back to the Loft and climb into your scratchy sheets and fall asleep," she said, not even caring how pathetic she sounded.

She could practically hear him smirking through the phone. "So I have nothing to do with it?"

"No," she said with a sleepy smile. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Even just having him on the phone made her feel better.

"_What?_" he said, pretending to be offended. "Waldorf, you call me at three AM and wake me up, and you aren't even going to admit you miss me?"

"Okay, okay, I admit it," she said smiling. "Just stop talking Humphrey. I'm trying to fall asleep."

"Alright, sorry. Want me to call you tomorrow?"

"No!" She sat up, panicked. "Don't hang up!"

Confused, he asked, "But I thought you just said-"

"I know what I said," Blair said quickly. She lied down again and closed her eyes. "Just...keep talking to me."

He laughed. "Okay. Want a story?"

"Umm...it doesn't matter," she answered, sounding increasingly tired.

"Well, once upon a time, there was this girl who sucked at Solitaire, but managed to do everything else right...even if she didn't think so herself. A girl who was willing to give up something _she_ wanted, in exchange for her friend's happiness. A girl who kissed the most amazing guy in the world...seriously, this guy is at like rock-star status...and even though she should probably be spending the entire night kissing him, she is instead sleeping on the couch of a friend who really needs her. Because_ she _is awesome like that."

"You make me sound like some hero," Blair said, barely awake.

"Have you ever thought to yourself that maybe you are?"

"Thanks, Humphrey," she whispered.

"Goodnight Supergirl."

And then, she _finally_ slept.

**::**

At nine, Blair woke up to the sound of retching. She sighed, knowing exactly what was going on, and got up to find Chuck. He was leaning off the bed, throwing up in the trashcan she had placed there. She cringed watching him, the sound of it sending chills through her body.

_Why did I do that to myself?_

When he finished, he looked up at Blair. He actually seemed surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?" he asked, not entirely kindly.

Blair rolled her eyes at his tone. "You're welcome for the bringing you to the bed and putting the trashcan there."

He stared at her blankly.

She sighed. "I called you last night and you told me to come here. Serena told me you were upset about something and that you needed to talk."

"Where were you? Serena and I were looking for you all night. We were actually worried," he frowned.

"That's not important," she brushed past it. "Why did you need to talk to me? Is everything okay? You were pretty wasted last night." She crossed her arms.

"No, everything's not okay," he growled. He got off the bed and walked past her.

She followed him out of the room. "Where are you going?"

"I need a drink," he said, going over to the bar.

"Nooo you don't," Blair said, catching up to him before he could pour himself a glass. He glared at her; she could care less. "We are having this conversation sober."

Infuriated, he walked over to the couch and sat down, elbows on his knees. He wrung his hands nervously together.

Blair studied him, unsure of what to make of his behavior. "Chuck, what is going on? Last night you said something about a fire...and something about a girl dying? You weren't making any sense."

He shook his head. "I thought when my dad died that we were in a good place; no secrets, just the truth."

"Right..." Blair said, prompting him to continue.

He laughed, but no humor was in it. "I should have known it was too good to be true." He shifted in his seat, too aggravated to keep still.

She stayed silent, hoping he would continue talking.

"One of my father's hotels had a fire in it years ago. It killed one security guard; I even confronted him about it. Tonight, I found out that it also killed Raina's mother. And apparently, my father did it deliberately. He _deliberately_ killed a person, Blair," Chuck said, each word paining him.

This was just as every bit of shock to Blair as it was to Chuck. Figuring it out in her mind, she said, "So...that's why Thorpe is trying to take over Bass Enterprises? Because he is holding a grudge?"

"Yes. But all he really cared about was wrecking that last good memory I have of my father and I. He went back to Chicago last night thrilled that he demolished that."

Realizing why he needed to talk to her, she walked over and sat beside him on the couch. "Chuck, you shouldn't let this ruin your view of your father. He had no idea Thorpe would come back and hold this over your head. Just remember where your relationship was when he died."

"He _lied_ to me Blair. We had finally gotten to good place of honesty, and now none of that matters anymore." He stood up and walked over to the bar.

"Chuck, you should really eat something before you drink any more."

He gave her a stern look, one that showed she would not win this fight.

"So...what will you do now?" Blair asked as he poured himself some scotch.

He downed the liquid and immediately poured some more. "I need to get out of here." He looked up at her. "Come with me. We'll just leave and take a break for a while. Just us."

Blair looked at him like he was crazy.

_Quite honestly, right now, he is._

"What? That's ridiculous. I can't do that Chuck, and neither should you."

He downed the second glass too. "Why not? You're the only person that understands."

"Okay, it may feel like that now...but we can't just run off together. For starters, we both have responsibilities. I have school, you have the company, we have _lives_ here Chuck. And most importantly, we're not together anymore."

He looked as if he had been slapped in the face. "We _can_ be though. Just come with me."

"No, Chuck." She stood up. "I'm not going with you and you shouldn't go either. Thorpe is gone now. _You_ are your father's legacy. That's what's important now."

He watched her put on her coat. Before she left, she turned around once more. "Chuck, you have the potential to be an incredible CEO. Better than Bart. Even so, he would still be proud of you."

And with that, she left.

**::**

Blair was still exhausted as she left the Empire; so tired that the thought of going home and facing Serena made her want to roll up in a ball and die. So, she went to the only place that felt good at the moment.

She practically crawled her way up the stairs, each step sucking more energy out of her. When she went to open the door, it didn't move.

_Of course he would listen to me and lock it._

After knocking obnoxiously loud for an upwards of ten minutes, she gave up. She sat against the wall across from the door not caring how dirty or germ-filled the floor was, and closed her eyes. She didn't know if she had fallen asleep or not, but not long after she finally heard footsteps climbing the stairs.

He could have made some sly remark, or teased her for coming right back to the Loft. But instead, Dan gave her a warm, understanding smile and held out his hand. She took it and stood up, waiting patiently for him to open the door. Once inside, he dropped the shopping bags he had in his hands and hugged her. Very rarely did Blair Waldorf get hugged, and somehow it was the exact thing she needed in that moment.

When she glanced down at what was in the shopping bags, her knees went weak. The sight of very expensive looking 1200-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets nearly made her cry.

"How much did they cost?" Blair asked him, her heart melting way more than was probably healthy.

"It doesn't matter," he answered simply, kissing her head.

She buried her face in his chest, tightening her hold of him. "Thanks for keeping drama out of everything you do. I'm tired of dealing with it."

"You're welcome."

She pulled away from his chest and looked up at him. She closed her eyes as he pressed his lips to hers. He deepened it, prompting Blair to sigh into his mouth and a warm feeling to spread through her veins. He pulled away and brought both hands up to cup her face. He softly ran both thumbs down her cheeks and smiled. "Waffles or pancakes?"

She scrunched her nose. "Mmm...pancakes."

He kissed her softly again and guided her into the kitchen. She took the same spot she had at dinner the night before and propped her elbows on the counter, resting her chin in her hand. As she watched him make breakfast, she realized how Dan Humphrey couldn't have come into her life at a better time.

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**A/N: **How was that? Much more to come with Chuck and Serena. And, of course, our favorite couple. Sorry for the lack of Dan & Blair in this chapter. I promise to have more of them together next chapter. Even in this sunny beach weather, this story is always on my mind. I'm glad I've been able to update! _**Reviews make me happy :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Ahhhh so sorry it took me so long to update! This is the last day of my spring break, so hopefully once I get back into the routine of classes, I'll update regularly. Love, love, love all of the reviews & alerts. I'm glad everyone is still enjoying this story! Hope this is to your liking...

Oh, and I apologize if there are any grammar mistakes. I'm running on like 3 hours of sleep.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl.

* * *

After pancakes, Blair and Dan moseyed around all day watching movies and talking about random things. After washing the dinner dishes (together, of course), they moved into the living room. Blair was lying on the couch, her head resting in Dan's lap. His fingers were running mindlessly through her curls and she swore she had never felt so relaxed. She didn't want to leave him just yet, but she had classes the next day, and she had no books or clothes with her.

She closed her eyes and focused on the soothing patterns of his fingers. Eyes still closed, she finally said, "As much as I don't want to, I have to go soon."

Dan took a deep breath. "Yeah, I know. Real life begins tomorrow."

"That it does," she said with a sigh. "_I _will be attending class from now on. Sending my minions only hindered my performance."

Dan chuckled. "Yeah, can we talk about that for a second?"

As relaxed as she was, Blair furrowed her brow. "Talk about what? The fact that I got an _F? _I'd rather not."

Dan smiled. "No, the fact that you still call them your minions. Or that you even still have minions."

Blair breathed out a laugh. "I'm too tired to go into that now. I should go." She sat up and turned in her seat and leaned over to press her lips against his. "What time are your classes tomorrow?"

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "_Class_," he corrected, "and it's at ten."

She took his hand in hers and played with his fingers. "Ah lucky you. I have two tomorrow; both in the morning."

"Up for a late lunch?" He asked, bringing up her hand to kiss it.

She bit her lip, pretending to think. "Sounds perfect," she finally said with a smile.

After kissing her _one_ more time, Dan walked her outside and flagged her a cab. With a flirty wink and a wave, she was off.

**::**

Climbing the curved staircase up to her room, Blair's heart started to beat. She hadn't seen or talked to Serena since she discovered them at the loft, and she had no idea if she was even home. The light beneath Serena's closed door, however, told her she was.

After setting her purse down in her room, Blair walked across the hall and knocked lightly on the door. She heard Serena talking on the phone to someone. "S?"

Blair heard Serena stop talking and a moment later, she opened the door. Serena rolled her eyes and moved the phone away from her mouth. "What do you want?"

A little shocked by her attitude, Blair quietly said, "I just want to talk to you."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm on the phone with my mom."

"Okay, I didn't mean to interrupt. Just...knock on my door when your off with her," Blair borderline begged (yes, Blair Waldork _begged)_ before turning back to her room. She flinched when she heard Serena's door slam.

With a sigh, she fell backwards on her bed. It felt like it had been years since she had slept in it, but in reality, it had only been a day. She knew once she closed her eyes she would be asleep in no time, but she really wanted to talk to Serena. So instead, she padded around her room to get ready for tomorrow. When she went into her closet to pick out her outfit, she was stopped _yet again _in her tracks by the smell of Dan. It instantly soothed her and stopped her heart. She closed her eyes and it was almost as if he was in the room. She smiled and leaned against the doorframe, not even trying to stop the smile that came upon her face. The knock on the door immediately took her out of her trance.

"What did you want to talk about?" came Serena's voice. She was standing in the doorway, the door slightly open.

Blair walked over and sat on the bed. "A couple things. Did your Mom get bail?"

Serena rolled her eyes again and nodded her head.

"S, are you _seriously_ going to hate me forever?"

"I don't know, Blair. Maybe once you stop and actually realize what you're doing, I'll reconsider," Serena said, crossing her arms.

"And just _what_ am I doing again?" Blair challenged, looking forward to her answer.

Serena shook her head. "Unbelievable."

Blair stood up quickly. "You can't even answer the question yourself! Why does it bother you so much that I kissed Dan?" She paused and clarified, "_Kissed_, Serena. We did not have sex. Or, in your words, 'fuck.'"

Serena gritted her teeth. "How would you feel if I kissed Chuck?"

Blair scoffed, "Seriously S? You're going to go there? There are so many things wrong with that statement, it's disgusting. For starters, you're step-siblings." She stopped for a beat. "I think I'll end there."

"You know what I meant Blair," Serena snapped.

"Maybe so. But in my entire life, I've dated Nate, Chuck, Lord Marcus, and for fun, I'll throw in Louis. _That's it._ You, on the other hand, have dated so many men, I've forgotten their names. _ You_ are not allowed to say anything about my love life." Blair considered stopping there to take a breath, but she didn't.

_What the hell, I'm on a roll._

She continued, "After what Chuck did to me last summer, I think I deserve a guy who treats me well. And guess what? It just happens to be Dan. Did I think it was going to be him? No...not at all. But it was. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm being treated the way I should be. And you know what? Yesterday I felt awful that I did this to you. That this whole thing Dan and I have is _hurting_ you. But right now, I'm not anymore. Because he makes me really happy. I feel better than I have in a long time."

Serena stood there in silence, each word hitting her harder than the last. "I'm moving out," she said before turning to slam her door again.

This time, Blair was silent. She honestly thought Serena would understand everything a little bit more, but that obviously was not the case. She stood there and listened to Serena slam her drawers, furiously packing. When she opened her door, with a suitcase in hand, Blair thought she would leave without another word. Instead, she turned to Blair. "If you don't tell Chuck, I will."

Blair rushed over to her. "Serena, give me _one_ day. Do _not_ tell him."

Serena glared at her. "One day." And then she left, leaving a still-shocked Blair in the hallway.

Despite finall_y_ speaking her mind to Serena, Blair felt even worse. Holding in tears, she changed into her pajamas and washed her face and teeth.

_Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow will be better._

She was asleep in minutes.

**::**

After making it through her morning classes, (she had to hand it to her minions, these classes were no shopping trip), she walked out of the building. She was still exhausted from the weekend and would kill for a coffee. Squinting her eyes from the sunlight, she dug around her purse for her sunglasses and put them on.

"Well don't you look cute today," came a familiar voice that instantly brought a smile to her face. She looked up and saw Dan standing in front of her with - _god love him - _two coffees in his hands.

She lowered her sunglasses and playfully glared at him. "Humphrey, _cute_ is not a word that is ever used to describe Blair Waldorf."

He pretended to be offended. "You know what? I think I'll take this extra coffee and give it to a homeless person." He started to walk away with a smirk on his face.

"Humphrey!" She gasped, prompting Dan to stop in his path and turn to look at her. "Care to try again?" she flirted pretty shamelessly, twisting a curl around her finger for extra effect.

He slowly walked up to her. "Blair Waldorf, you look incredibly beautiful today. Absolutely gorgeous." He leaned in close to her ear. "And sexy as hell."

She shivered at his words and lost her breath for a moment. She caught him gazing down at her lips and her throat went dry. When she had woken up this morning, and gone through the past two days in her mind, she had become a little worried that maybe this thing with Dan wouldn't last. That their chemistry would fizzle in a few days.

_Hell no_.

Blair quickly turned and walked back into the building, gesturing him to follow. Swaying her hips, she had no doubt that he wouldn't follow. As fast as she could, she found an empty corner. Once she turned around, he crashed his lips against hers. He deepened it and playfully nipped at her bottom lip. She had to consciously remind herself that he was holding two scalding hot coffees, because she had to literally restrain herself from running her lips all over his face, his neck..._him._

Pulling back to take a breath, she whispered hotly, "That was _much_ better." Dan agreed by kissing her again.

"Put...down...the...coffees..." Blair somehow said between kisses. He obliged and soon enough, both his hands were all over her. She gasped when he pushed her up again the wall, and trailed his hands up her legs. Curious to what her reaction would be, he gently squeezed her thighs, which were moving closer towards her burning center. She approved, moaning into his mouth. All Blair could think of was _I never want this to stop_, but voices snapped them out of the moment, making Dan jump back and take a breath. Blair quickly smoothed out her dress and fiddled with her hair. Their red faces would surely give them away, but why not try and cover up?

A few professors walked around the corner, looking for something Blair could care less about. They stared at the pair for a moment before continuing their conversation and walking away.

Dan ran and hand through his hair. "_Why_ are we always interrupted?"

"It's like the universe is telling us not to be together," Blair teased, smirking all the while.

Dan answered with a sexy smile. "Screw the universe. I could live without food in exchange for what we just did."

Blair bit her lip and took the coffee he handed to her. She took a sip, happy to finally have Serena and her classes off her mind. Dan instantly relaxed her and spending the afternoon with him was exactly what she needed.

"Lunch?" he asked.

She nodded. "Lead the way."

Still not wanting their relationship all over Gossip Girl, Blair nervously followed Dan a few feet behind. She put her sunglasses back on, hoping to hide her face, and looked down once she saw anyone she recognized. Dan looked back at her and immediately noticed her apprehension.

"How about lunch at my place?" he proposed, hoping it would ease her mind.

Blair felt a little guilty, knowing it was completely unfair of her to act this way. But, Serena knowing was enough for now, and until _she _was ready to tell other people, (_not Gossip Girl...or Serena, for that matter),_ she would rather keep it private.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

He smiled. "I'm sure. Besides, we can continue where we left off..."

Blair's checks reddened and she felt her body grow warm again. She looked around to check no one was watching or listening. Calmly, she nodded, "I suppose we could do that."

Dan winked and got into the cab. After looking around once more, Blair slipped in behind him. It was a little exhilarating, the whole _running behind people's backs_ thing, but it still scared her. She was not naïve enough to believe that just because _she_ saw no one watching, no one else was. She just hoped it was true this once.

They got to the loft in no time, struggling the entire ride to keep their hands (and lips) to themselves. Once inside, Blair peeled off her coat and set down her bag.

"Pancakes or waffles?" Dan asked.

Blair whipped around, equally confused and horrified. "Neither! Don't you eat normal, healthy food?"

He laughed. "I'm kidding. And you know the answer to that. I made that amazing dinner the other night."

"Show off," she teased. "I'll take a salad if you have it."

He opened the fridge and surveyed the contents. "Affirmative."

She watched as he pulled out the greens and vegetables. Knowing that would keep him busy for a few minutes, Blair walked over to her bag and took out one of her textbooks. She sat down at the counter and opened it, hoping to get in some reading, but it didn't keep her attention for long. Dan's humming and Dan _himself_ were far too distracting. She slipped off the stool and walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his body. He immediately stopped humming and turned in arms. "Waldorf, I can't make your salad with your hands all over me." He leaned down and kissed her, feeling a smile form on her lips.

"Can I help?" Blair asked after pulling away.

"Sure." He set her up with a cutting board and got out a knife. "Now, this is called a knife. You cut things with it."

She chuckled and hit him softly on the shoulder. "You act as if I've never cooked before."

Dan playfully rubbed his shoulder, laughing. He carefully handed her the knife and watched her slice a tomato. Blair felt his eyes on her and turned to him. "Eyes on the lettuce, Humphrey," she said, pointing the knife at him.

"Knife on the cutting board, Waldorf," he retorted with a smile. "And I already told you. You look sexy as hell today, so get used to my staring."

She rolled her eyes and continued slicing the tomato into smaller pieces. After finishing, she tossed them into the large bowl filled with lettuce. She popped a tomato piece in her mouth, savoring the fresh flavor, and nodded in approval to Dan who was holding up a cucumber. After choosing a dressing, Dan tossed the salad and put it on two plates.

"Not bad, Humphrey," Blair said, after swallowing the first bite. Dan gave a cocky smile at the compliment.

After they finished, they left the dishes on the counter and headed for the couch. They took the same positions they had the night before, with Blair's head in Dan's lap. He looked down at her. "I almost forgot to ask. Did you see Serena last night?"

Blair rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"Did she talk to you?"

Blair sat up. "Yes, although I'm pretty sure it will be the last time for a while."

He looked at her curiously. "Why? What'd you say?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Why the assumptions, Daniel? Maybe it was because of something _she_ said."

He gave her a look that said _I know you better than that_ which forced Blair to give in with a sigh.

"_Fine_," she said dramatically. "I may have said something along the lines of, "You've slept with so many people I can't remember any of their names...'" She let it trail off.

"Blair..." he said in a tone that hinted he didn't exactly approve of her words.

"What!" she gasped. Wanting to get on his good side again, she added, "I also said that I haven't felt this happy in a long time." She batted her eyelashes and hoped it helped. It did.

_Sucker._

"Okay, well I'm glad you spoke your mind. But also remember to be not so harsh next time," he said, hoping she wasn't offended.

"I know, I know." She was quiet for a moment and played with his fingers. "She moved out," she said softly.

Dan wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "I'm sorry. It seems like you're getting most of the heat in this whole situation."

She took a deep breath and rested her head on his shoulder. "She said I have one day to tell Chuck."

"One day? Shit, she's not messing around."

"Tell me about it." She leaned up and pursed her lips, cueing Dan to kiss her. "I have some reading I have to get done. Mind if I do it here?"

"Not at all," he said before kissing her temple. He got up to do the dishes while she read. After he finished, he walked back over to the couch and took the book out of her hand. Before she could protest, his lips were on hers, and she completely forgot her homework. Her phone went off and Dan groaned.

"Ignore it," he said going in for another kiss.

"It may be important." She tore her mouth away from his and read the screen. She gasped.

_Gossip Girl here. Sources tell me our Queen B and Lonely Boy were spotted together. Not only that, but _kissing. _Come out, come out wherever you are B. You have a lot of explaining to do._

_

* * *

_

**A/N:** How was that? Sorry again for the delay. I promise to update sooner next time. _**Reviews make me happy! :)**__  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Hello. Here's the next chapter. Two things...1.) A couple people commented on how harsh Serena's reaction was. I totally agree. In fact, as I was writing it, I turned to my twin sister and said, "Wow, I am making Serena out to be a total bitch." ;) Don't worry, she'll come around soon. Besides... I promise by the end of this chapter, you won't care about Serena. Which brings me to my next point... 2.) I consider myself to be a pretty modest and shy person in real life, so what I wrote at the end of this chapter makes me want to crawl in a hole of embarrassment. I am really trying to keep this rated T, but you are all so wonderful, so this chapter is **rated M. **If it's not horrible, maybe I'll change my mind later. :) So, without further ado... (and I apologize in advance for any spelling/grammar mistakes)...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl.

* * *

_Gossip Girl here. Sources tell me our Queen B and Lonely Boy were spotted together. Not only that, but _kissing. _Come out, come out wherever you are B. You have a lot of explaining to do._

Blair turned to Dan, absolutely dumbstruck. Still unsure what her reaction was all about, he took the phone and read the blast himself.

"Oh. My. God." Dan stuttered out. "How the hell did this happen?"

Eyes still wide, Blair shook her head. "I have no idea!" she exclaimed. "I thought we were careful today!"

Not hiding his sarcasm, he said, "When? When we were hooking up in the hallway? Or getting into the cab?"

Blair rolled her eyes. "I thought I talked to you about using the phrase 'hooking up.'"

Dan stared at her blankly. "And I thought we were going to continue our hallway rendezvous."

Despite her annoyance, she gave a small smile. "I know, I know. It's just as frustrating to me that we keep getting interrupted." She then remembered the problem. "But that's not important right now, Humphrey! Everybody knows!" She gasped. "_Chuck _knows!"

Frustrated, Dan rubbed his hands over his face. He sighed, "What should we do?"

"I don't know," she said, standing up. She crossed her arms, "I mean, the only person we really owe an explanation to is Chuck."

Confused, he asked, "Explanation? Why do we owe him an explanation? We can do what we want."

Blair noticed he sounded slightly insulted. _Not my intention. _"I _know_ we can do what we want. I meant that he's the only person we really need to worry about talking to."

He still looked uneasy. "I don't know about that Blair. I feel like this whole thing could shake some people up. For example, your minions."

"It's none of their goddamn business!" she practically yelled, finally showing Dan how scared she was.

He stood up to join her. "I know it's not. Where should we start? Chuck? Our parents?"

"Or me?" came a voice. They both relaxed when they saw Nate entering the loft.

"What the hell, man? You don't knock?" Dan asked, utterly confused to why Nate was there.

"I didn't think there was a reason I should," he replied, gesturing to Blair. "And what do you mean, "what the hell?" I should be saying that to you. Since when were you two a couple?"

Blair rolled her eyes. "Oh my god. The blast went out _five_ minutes ago. What did you do, sprint here?"

Nate smiled at her annoyance. "No. I was already on my way over. But now that _you're_ here, care to explain how this happened?"

"There's no time Nate! We didn't want this to get out for a while, and now the entire city knows!" Slightly embarrassed by her small outburst, Blair smoothed her dress and composed herself. More calmly, she said, "So if you would please leave, Dan and I would appreciate it."

"No, I'm actually enjoying this," Dan teased, still wrapping his arm around her all the while.

Blair closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Guys, please help me out."

"Alright, alright," Dan said, kissing the top of her head. "What do you want me to do? Go to Chuck directly?"

Before Blair could answer, Dan's phone went off. "Who is it?" Blair asked nervously.

"Uh, it's my dad," he said, reading the text.

_family meeting. 30 min. Palace._

"I gotta go to this," Dan said hesitantly, knowing it wasn't the best time. "Maybe Chuck will be there.

She let out a shaky sigh. "I'm coming with you," she said as strong as she could.

"I don't know if-"

She sent him a stare that was loud and clear. "Great," Dan said, quickly changing his mind. "Let's go." They both turned to get their jackets and noticed Nate still standing there.

Nate smiled again. "Yeah...I have to see this."

Blair sent him an annoyed glare, but didn't protest when he followed them out.

**::**

As they exited the taxi, Dan's phone rang again. "Dad, I'm about to get in the elevator. Be right there."

Blair heart beat fast as they neared their floor, unsure of what was to come. The bell chimed and as the doors opened, Dan yelled, "Here!"

Blair stepped out first, but she didn't make it very far. All she heard was "I'm gonna kill you, Humphrey!" and she was on the ground. Her breath stopped, and for a moment she didn't know what happened. It was only when she felt a jab of pain run through her face and muffled yelling did she realize she was punched. Suddenly tired, she kept her eyes closed, away from the noise.

"Oh my god! _Blair!_ Are you okay?" Dan asked frantically. He softly ran a hand down her cheek, but pulled away when she winced. When he saw her eyes flutter - signaling she was at least alive - fury ran through him.

He stood up and stormed towards Chuck. "You _fucking_ bastard!" he yelled, swinging his arm back to punch him. He didn't even care how drunk Chuck looked, how out of it he was. Before he could hit him, though, Dan was pulled back and Nate blocked Chuck.

"Punching him is not going to solve anything, son," Rufus said, only annoying Dan further.

"He _punched_ her Dad," Dan growled at Rufus, as if it weren't obvious. "_Why_ is it such a big deal that we're together?" he yelled at no one in particular, pacing in circles. He caught sight of Serena, who looked as shocked as everyone else. "And you. Who the hell gave _you _the right to judge Blair, huh?"

"I'm sorry," Serena cried, worried eyes glancing over to Blair.

He ignored her apology and went back to kneel beside Blair. She blinked open her eyes, looking more than a little confused. "What happened?"

Carefully, Dan helped her sit up. "Chuck tried to punch me, but he got you instead. Do you remember my name?"

To Dan's shock, she smiled. "Which one? Cabbage Patch, Humphrey, Brooklyn, Dan."

He sighed in relief, but couldn't help but smirk. "I think you'll be just fine. How are you feeling?"

She closed her eyes and brought a hand up to her cheek. "I have a headache. And my cheek hurts. Other than that, I'm fine."

"Thank god. Can I help you get up?"

She nodded and took his arm to hold herself steady. He slowly helped her onto her feet and tightened his hold when he felt her sway.

Her head hurt too much to focus on the crowd of people in the room; she just wanted to get out of there. "Dan, just take me back to the loft."

"Okay," he said without hesitation. _From now on, anything she says, goes._

He pressed the elevator button, never letting her go, and stepped inside. He ignored the protests coming from the apartment and shut his eyes in relief when the doors closed them off.

**::**

After an awful ride to the loft, (no matter how many times Dan explained Blair's situation to the driver, he still drove like a bat out of hell), they finally made it. Blair would have laughed at his slow movements with her, but she was pretty smitten with him. Her head was no longer pounding; she just felt a dull ache below her right eye.

Once inside, Dan led Blair straight to his bed and carefully helped her sit down. "Do you need anything? Water? Pretzels? Waffles?"

Blair gave a small smile at his joke, but shook her head. "No, I'm okay. But I will take a more comfortable shirt." She gestured to her dress, which looked less than cozy.

"Coming right up," he said, walking over to his dresser. He opened the drawer and stared at the folded shirts.

_Which one will she _not_ be opposed to?_

As if she could read his mind, Blair interrupted his thoughts. "For once, I don't care what it looks like."

Dan chuckled as he took out a flannel button-down. He surveyed it quickly: _clean, no stains, no holes, soft. Perfect._

He walked it over to her and couldn't help but notice that she had taken off her tights.

"Romantic, right?" she joked, as he lifted her dress. Blair noticed his hands were shaking. Once she was in only her bra, she took his hands in hers. "Hey. Don't be so nervous."

He brushed it off. "I know, I'm sorry." As much as he didn't want to, he tried his best to avoid looking down. She was in only her underwear, and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. He carefully helped her put on his shirt, glad he chose a button-down to avoid hitting her cheek.

"Thanks," she said, climbing under the sheets. She smiled again. "These sheets are heavenly. They are _so_ comfy." She snuggled down into them more, and Dan finally relaxed some. Once she was lying on her left side, she patted the spot next to her, gesturing him to lie down. He steadily joined her, but made sure not to get too close. He didn't want to cause her any more discomfort.

She frowned. "Humphrey, you are obviously trying not to touch me. I don't like it." She gave a small pout, knowing it would reel him in.

"I just don't want to hurt you any more," he said, reaching for her hand.

She breathed out a laugh and lightly teased, "My mistake. I thought Chuck punched me." He still didn't smile. She sighed. "Dan, this wasn't your fault. You haven't caused me _any_ pain. Okay?"

He nodded.

"Now, come closer," she said, pulling him into her.

"So, nothing hurts but your cheek?" he asked, making sure.

Confidently, she answered, "I promise."

Dan smirked. "So...it doesn't hurt if I do this?" He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"No."

"Or...this?" He said, moving down to her unaffected cheek.

"Nope."

"What about...this?" He moved to her ear and she shivered.

"No," she said, noticing her voice was getting weaker.

"How about this?" Dan moved to her lips and all Blair could do was moan into his mouth.

"Or...this?" he asked, kissing the nape of her neck.

Blair shook her head.

"This?" He smiled as he noticed her breath quicken, and then peppered soft kisses down her throat and across her collarbone. He stopped once he realized the rest of her body was hidden beneath her (_his_) shirt. Dan looked up and saw an unmistakable glint in her eye. Carefully, he undid the top button and kissed the skin beneath. Hearing no protest, he undid the second one, fully exposing her bra. He kissed the lacy, thin material and heard her gasp. He continued unbuttoning her shirt, kissing every inch of skin exposed, causing her to arch her back. He carried on his trail, making his way down towards her burning center. He avoided it, kissing the hollow of her legs beside it, making her shiver in anticipation.

"Dan..." she sighed, tangling her fingers in his hair and pushing his head towards the source of her need. She moaned when she felt his lips lightly graze the damp fabric of her panties, and whimpered when she felt his lips leave it. He began retracing the trail up her body with his mouth, wanted to feel her lips on his again. He finally reached her mouth, and she moaned into him when she felt him ready, pressed against her body. Feeling exceptionally confident, he peeled off her (_his_) shirt and unclasped her bra. Her mouth never leaving his, Blair quickly pulled off his shirt, thankful to finally run her hands down his chest. She got to work on his pants, giving a moan in gratitude when he helped her. He smoothly took off his boxers and pulled away from her. They stared straight into each others eyes, their breaths heavy with desire and want and need and it took only one more second - one more slight nod from Blair - for Dan to kiss her deeply again. Tongues dancing around each other, he wrapped his arms around her, and she wrapped her legs around him. Slowly she sank into him, gasping at the feeling.

As they moved together, Blair couldn't believe how gentle he was with her. She didn't know if it was because she had already been physically hurt, but as their bodies moved in synched rhythm, he treated her like delicate porcelain, as if she would break at any moment. She had never felt so taken care of, so prized, so...

_Dare I say_?

..._loved._

They both came to their peak together, and as their breaths slowed down, Dan placed one more whisper of a kiss upon her bruised cheek. In that moment, neither no longer cared about what anyone thought of them. They were happy, and that was enough.

* * *

**A/N:** Ahhh! How'd I do?


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Glad everyone liked the last chapter! Thanks for all of your reviews/alerts. I appreciate you taking the time to review...especially anonymous readers! This chapter is kind of fluffy. Oh well. :) Enjoy...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl.

* * *

The first thoughts that came to Blair's mind when she woke up were:

_Good Lord, these sheets are comfortable._

_Where's Dan?_

_Wait...why is it light outside?_

_And why the _hell_ does the clock say 10:13?_

She sat up and brought her hands up to rub her eyes, hoping she was reading the clock wrong. When her hand hit her cheek she cried out in pain, her mind immediately flying back to last night's event.

"Dan? Why didn't you wake me! I missed class!" she called out, hoping he was there. Once he appeared in the doorway, however, she couldn't possible stay mad at him. "Hi," she said rather shyly, lying back down to snuggle under the sheets again.

He gave a smug smile and crawled onto the bed next to her, his heart breaking at the sight of her cheek. Without saying a word back, he leaned down over her and pressed his lips to hers, lingering in a long, slow kiss. "Good morning," he said when he pulled away. "Did you sleep okay?"

She nodded, biting her lip to try and hide her smile.

"Good. Pancakes or waffles?" Dan asked, knowing it would irk her.

"Fruit," she replied, knowing it would do the same to him.

"Waldorf," he said in a warned tone.

Suddenly liking this game, she giggled, "Yogurt."

He shook his head. "I give up." He leaned down to kiss her again. "How do you feel this morning?" He brought up a hand and carefully moved her head to look at her cheek more closely.

"Okay. How does it look?" she hesitantly asked, knowing it probably looked as bad as it hurt.

He thought for a second. "Well, your cheek will probably never look the same again."

"_What?_" she practically shrieked, sitting back up.

He chuckled. "I'm kidding. It actually doesn't look as bad as I thought it would." _Okay, that's a lie. But who would want to tell Blair Waldorf her cheek looks as if it were mistaken for a punching bag?_

She sighed and got out of bed. "Let me see." Dan followed her into the bathroom. She gasped at her reflection. "Oh my god!" she cried. "I look terrible!"

Dan couldn't help but laugh. "Blair Waldorf, you have _no_ right to say you look terrible. Want to know why?"

She looked at him with the eyes that could convince anyone to jump off a bridge. _Or, in my case, across a bridge._

"Why?" she said softly.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his body. "Because you, Miss Waldorf, are standing in _my _bathroom, wearing nothing but _my _t-shirt, with the hottest fucking sex hair I've _ever_ seen, after spending the night in _my _bed with _me._ Got it?"

Blair was smiling by the end of his little speech, forgetting about her cheek completely. She pulled his head down to kiss him, but instead, he picked her _up_. She immediately wrapped her legs around him, _adoring_ the way his lips moved down to her neck. She arched her head to grant him more access, and he heard her moan when he hit a sensitive spot. "_Dan,_" she gasped, and he thought it was amazing thing he'd ever heard.

His mouth was covering every inch of her neck and Blair's breath started to quicken. As he laid her back down on the bed, she caught sight of the clock again. "Wait," she said, but it was muffled by his mouth.

"What?" he asked, not really stopping.

_I can't believe I'm about to say this. _ "I have class," she said, hoping it wouldn't completely kill the mood.

"I took care of it." He kissed her neck again.

"How?" she asked, more than a little confused.

"Serena went for you. She'll take notes."

"Wait, _what?_" She pushed him away slightly.

He sighed, dropping his head back on the bed. "She came over this morning to apologize, but you were asleep. I told her she had a long way to go before you would forgive her, but she could start by going to class for you. I figured you needed the sleep, and I knew you would hate going to class with your face all black and blue."

"Oh, this will be perfect. I've always wanted to receive a second F," she said, not hiding her sarcasm in the slightest. "Really, Humphrey? Of all people, you sent _Serena? _"

He glared at her. "Blair, as surprising as it sounds, she seemed genuinely sorry. She looked like she hadn't slept a wink."

Blair rolled on her side to face him and propped her head up on her hand. "_You_ look like you haven't slept a wink," she flirted mischievously.

He grabbed her quickly and pulled her on top of him. "Damn right I didn't. How could I with you in my bed?" She leaned down and kissed him deeply.

"Thanks for sending her. I really didn't feel like leaving anyway."

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"So. What are we going to do today now that I don't have class?" she asked, running her fingers though his hair.

"_Well_...I was thinking about maybe making a pie with you."

She gasped and smiled. "_Really?_"

His heart melted at the sight of her excited face. "Yeah. I'm thinking...raspberry."

"Nice try," she said, rolling her eyes. "We are making pumpkin."

"But they're not in season. Do you really want to make pumpkin pie from a _can?_"

She shuddered at the thought.

"No."

Wanting to perk her back up, he said, "This can be our practice pie. That way when we make our pumpkin pie in October, we'll be masters at it."

Her heart warmed. _He wants us to be together in October?_

"Okay. Raspberry's fine," she said softly, but through a wide smile.

"Good. Now...breakfast." He kissed her quickly and sat up, causing her to straddle him. "What are you hungry for?"

"You," she said, pressing her lips to his.

"Oh, gosh. We're never going to make it out of this apartment are we?"

"Nope," she smiled, capturing his lips again.

_Works for me_, he thought, taking his shirt off her for the second time. _I'll eat later._

**::**

Following breakfast a little while later, and after Dan showered and changed, he headed out for a moment. Although Blair protested, he assured her that by the time she was out of the shower with make-up covering her cheek, he would be back.

And he was. He entered the loft in time to see Blair walk out of the bathroom. She turned to him when she heard the door open, and he was impressed by how well she hid her black and blue cheek. You could still tell it was swollen, but she had put some blush on her other cheek to balance out the rosiness. Despite everything, she still looked gorgeous. _Especially in my towel._

"Humphrey, I forgot I don't have any clothes," she said as he closed the front door.

He smiled. "I know. Which is why I bought you these..." He held up the bag.

She side-eyed him. "This should be good."

"Hey!" he said, feigning insult. "Don't you trust me?"

Tongue in cheek, she replied, "Maybe." She watched him walk past her into the bedroom and place the bag on the bed.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded, smiling. Honestly, she was a little excited to see what he picked out.

He gently reached into the bag and pulled out a blouse. When Blair first glanced at the _plaid_ shirt, she panicked. But once he laid it out on the bed, she realized how fashionable it actually was. The plaid pattern was not overbearing or overwhelming - the light blue and yellow colors helping it - and down the entire front were chic, stylish ruffles hiding the buttons. She had to give it to him; the shirt was the perfect combination of her style and his.

(Which made it even better.)

Dan took her dimpled smile as a sign of approval to keep going. He hesitated before taking out the next thing. "Now, I know you may fight me on this one, but just wear them for me. Please."

Blair smirked. _How could I say no to that?_

He pulled out a pair of skinny jeans. She rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know," he said before she could turn him down. "Now, I know they are not Gucci, or from Saks for that matter, but they _are_ Levi's if that gives me any credit."

Instead of answering, she simply leaned up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Humphrey."

He looked surprised by her reaction. "Cool. Now get dressed so we can go to the market for pie ingredients."

"Okay," she said smiling, before turning to change.

**::**

After spending more time at the market than he originally planned, (grocery shopping with Blair Waldorf was quite amusing), they made it back to the loft. They set the bags on the counter and before he could even start unpacking the bags, he watched Blair move about the kitchen. She was already completely comfortable in the loft, increasingly so in the kitchen, and she was so breathtaking, he could barely look anywhere else. He caught her by the waist before she could get any farther away and pulled her flush against him. Wrapping her arms around his body and leaning her head back to look at him, all she could do was smile. He smirked at her sunglasses, (she insisted on wearing them to hide her cheek), and lifted them up off her head. After setting them on the counter, he cupped her injured cheek, grazing his thumb softly down the swollen part. She closed her eyes when he kissed it softly, and despite the small pressure it caused, his lips somehow made it feel better.

"Do you know how sexy you look in jeans?" he whispered, lips brushing her ear.

She didn't answer, his effect rendering her speechless. He let her go so they could gather up the ingredients and start making the pie.

For the next thirty minutes, the pair danced around each other in the kitchen, putting together the piecrust. Blair insisted they follow _her_ recipe, even though Dan thought his was the best. He put up a fight even though he knew he would give in all along. He found it amusing to rile her up a little; her curls seemed messier and her face blushed pink, making her look even _more_ tantalizingly stunning.

Dan put Blair to the task of cleaning and sugaring the raspberries. He smiled and shook his head when she stole a few raspberries from the bowl, and nearly dropped the spoon in his hand when he saw how irresistible she looked while eating them. They stained her _already_ cherry lips even more red, and when he kissed her she tasted so good he didn't think he could ever stop.

They sat on the couch exhausted after placing the pie in the oven. There was flour and dirty dishes all over the counters, but they really didn't want to clean them now. Still tired from their activities the night before (and this morning), paired with Dan's fingers lightly massaging her head, Blair couldn't help but doze off. She woke up sometime later to the most delicious smell.

"Hey," Dan said, joining her back on the couch and placing a plate of pie on the coffee table.

"Mmm that smells divine," she said, sitting up to drape her legs across his.

Dan put a bite on his fork and brought it up to her mouth, eyes glued to her lips the entire time.

"_Oh my god,_" Blair sighed, eyes nearly rolling back. "That's _so_ good."

"Really?" He took a bite and smiled wide. "We make some damn good pie Waldorf."

"Yes we do," she said, reaching for his fork for more. As she swallowed, they heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Dan called, way too comfortable to get up and open it.

The door opened and Serena appeared. "Hey," she said shyly, taking in the appearance of Blair and Dan on the couch, closer than she had ever seen them before.

"Hey," Dan answered back.

She shut the door and walked over to them. "I brought your notes from class."

"Thanks S," Blair said quietly, hating how uncomfortable she was with her best friend.

Serena nodded. "B, Can I talk to you for a minute. Alone?"

Dan took the hint and got up. "I'll be in the bedroom."

Serena took his place on the couch. "I'm so sorry B," she said, voice breaking at the end.

"It's okay."

Serena shook her head. "No, it's not. I was horrible to you and I'm so sorry."

"It's really okay S. I said some horrible things too." Blair reached and placed a comforting hand on her knee.

"I don't know what got into me. I guess I was just really shocked to see you two together. I mean...you were right; after last summer, you _do_ deserve to be with someone who will treat you well. I'll do whatever it takes to be okay with this." She gestured to the bedroom door.

"Thanks S."

Serena laughed, "It was just really surprising to see you two together."

"And you think I don't know that? I mean, the entire time we were in the closet, I just kept thinking..." She let the sentence run off after seeing Serena's confused (and suspicious) face.

"Closet?"

Blair recovered quickly. "You know what? Details can come later. How would you like a slice of pie?"

Serena smiled. "Pie sounds great."

Dan opened his door slightly and poked his head out. "Did you two make peace yet or will it be World War III?" Both girls laughed.

"Humphrey, get your ass out here and serve up some of that amazing pie. Chop, chop," Blair ordered.

"Coming right up," he said, winking at her.

"B how's your cheek?" Serena asked, nervously look Blair over.

"I'll live."

Serena still looked hesitant. "Are you _sure_ you're okay? You're wearing...jeans. And plaid."

Blair laughed. "I know. I didn't have any clothes. But, if you can believe it, they are actually quite comfortable."

"What was that?" Dan teased, wanting to hear her say it again.

"You heard me. Now give me that pie," Blair said, reaching out to take a plate from him. She sighed happily when she took a bite. She felt as if a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders by making peace with Serena. She could deal with everyone else later. For now, she was perfectly content with her best friend and boyfriend.

_Yes. Boyfriend._

_

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_**A/N: _Reviews make me happy! :)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** ::taps mic:: Is this thing on? Real life got incredibly busy and I couldn't write as much as I wanted to. You will probably continue to be annoyed at me because not only am I updating this ten days late, but it's a really short chapter. I promise I'll make it up to you next chapter :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl.

* * *

By Wednesday, Serena had moved back into the Waldorf apartment. Blair was aware that her newfound relationship with Dan would still be a touchy subject - and she would respect that - but she was just happy that her best friend was her roommate again. Even if she had only moved out for a day.

Also by Wednesday, her cheek had slowly recovered. There was still some bruising, but it was no longer swollen, and all Blair had to do was dab some foundation on it to cover it up. No one other than Dan could tell, and when Blair returned to classes that morning, she couldn't help but be in a fabulous mood.

Make-up on cheek?_ Check._

Make peace with Serena?_ Check._

Make-out with Dan? _More than check._

She felt the blush rise to her cheeks and a smile come upon her face. From the moment she woke up until now, he was constantly on her mind. It didn't help that the classroom she was currently sitting in was right next to the hallway of their make-out session a few days ago. She blushed at the memory.

Class thankfully ended early and Blair practically skipped out of the building. Dan was standing in the same spot he had met her at the other day and once she spotted him, Blair's heart fluttered. He hadn't seen her yet, though, and was looking at his phone.

"Daniel, what could _possibly_ be more interesting on that phone than me?"

Dan looked up in surprise, not expecting her so soon, and his pulse raced. Standing before him was Blair, who had somehow managed to look even more beautiful than the day before. "Absolutely nothing," he said slowly, looking her over.

She smiled. "Well then put that away and kiss me."

He pulled her in by her waist, running his hands across the expanse of her back, and met her lips with his. Kissing Blair was like air; it was no longer something he just _wanted _to do. He somehow had grown to need it.

"Now, that's more like it," she flirted after pulling away, running a hand through his hair.

"How does lunch sound?" Dan asked, dropping his hands from her waist.

"Perfect," Blair said, taking his hand to lace her fingers through his.

It was a gorgeous spring day, so they decided to walk and stopped at the first restaurant with outdoor seating and sat down. They took their time with the menus, being in no rush at all. Blair smiled as she watched Dan order for them both, not really caring what he chose. All her life, particularly in the last few weeks, she had been constantly on-the-go_._ Dan had slowed her down to a pace that she not only wasn't used to, but was also starting to love.

"So how's Lily doing? Any updates on her?" Blair asked, picking at the bread on the table.

Dan sat back and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. I haven't really asked."

"Why not?"

Dan smirked. "Because I've been with you. Nursing you back to health."

She rolled her eyes. "_Please._ I was fine," she said, still enjoying the banter. She reached across the table and took his hand. "Just because you're with me doesn't mean you should ignore your family," she said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Same goes for you Waldorf. When's the last time you spoke with your mom? Where is she, anyway?"

"I spoke with her..." Blair said, trying to think. "I think last week?"

"You think?" Dan chuckled. "Blair, you should call her. Let her know about your cheek."

She gave a warm smile. "It's sweet that you're so concerned with my great big injury Dan, but I'm fine. Besides, she's in Paris with Cyrus. Busy working on her next line."

"Okay. Well, to make you happy, I will stop by the Palace later and see what's up."

"Good," Blair said, as their waiter brought their food. She smiled when she saw what Dan had ordered her.

"Hmm, so you played it safe Humphrey? A salad?" she joked, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, damn. I forgot you wanted a burger and fries. Let me just order one for you," he said, raising his hand to flag a waiter.

Blair laughed. "No! I was kidding. I am very happy with my salad."

"Good," Dan said smiling, taking a bite of his own.

They ate their meal in comfortable conversation and as Dan was paying the check, Blair got an email about yet _another_ group project meeting.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," she said, completely frustrated.

"Skip it...skip it...skip it," Dan chanted with a smile.

Blair chuckled and stood up. "I wish I could, but I can't. This is actually perfect. Now I'll be out of your way so you can go catch up with your dad."

They exited the restaurant and stood on the sidewalk. "Waldorf," he said in a low voice, pulling her close by her waist, "You must know that you could _never _be in my way."

"Oh yeah?" she flirted, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"Mmhmm," Dan hummed, pressing his lips to hers. Blair immediately deepened the kiss, and it was only until a diner outside the restaurant cleared his throat that the pair realized they were still in public.

Blair resisted the urge to glare at the man, grasping Dan's hand instead to walk away from the restaurant. When they reached the corner, Blair stopped and turned to face him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, and cocking her head slightly to the side, she smiled, "Call you later?"

"Please," Dan said, kissing her again. When he pulled away, he ran his hands up and down her back. "Oh and don't plan anything on Friday night."

"Why not?"

"Because, Ms. Waldorf, I am taking you out on our first date," he said proudly.

She smiled. "Our first date? Haven't we already been out a couple times?"

"We've had lunch. And sex." He gave a sly smile. "But I never took you out on a real first date. So clear your schedule."

"Oh man. I had another date that night," she teased, grinning widely.

"You wish," he mumbled into her lips. He brought his mouth close to her ear. "Now get out of here before I do something I'm going to regret doing in public."

She shivered and complied, getting into her car that had conveniently pulled up. Once inside, she rolled down the window. "Now what do I wear on this fabulous date?"

"Definitely the skinny jeans I bought you," he winked. "You pick the shirt. Or...no shirt, it doesn't really matter to me," he joked, dropping his gaze to her lips.

"Daniel!" Blair gasped as the car began driving away. "We'll talk about that later!" she called out of the window. She wasn't even embarrassed when her driver gave her a uncomfortable look.

_Oh well_, Blair thought, smiling to herself.

**::**

The next two days were extremely busy. Blair's days were filled up with classes and project meetings that were, much to her dismay, continuing to be scheduled last minute. She hadn't been able to see Dan since their lunch, and frankly, she missed him. However, it just made her all the more excited for her date. Once her last meeting was _finally_ over, she took the car home. Serena was at the Palace for the night and she sent Dorota home early; she had the entire apartment to herself to get ready in peace and quiet and she couldn't wait.

Once the elevator doors opened, however, Blair was blanketed by the unmistakable cologne of the one person she didn't want to see. Especially tonight. The moment he heard the click of her heels rattle against the marble, he stood up and met her in the entry.

Blair, however, kept walking. She was halfway up the stairs when he spoke.

"Blair, I'm sorry."

Blair stopped mid-stair. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, she opened them and turned. "I don't know if that's going to cut it this time, Bass," she sighed.

"_Please_, Blair," he said, almost begging.

(And Chuck Bass _never_ begged.)

He continued, "I'm _so_ sorry. That- that entire night was a fucking disaster. I was drunk and I'm sorry."

Blair shook her head. "Sorry for what, Chuck? For going completely mental on everyone? Or...I don't know...punching me?"

His face fell and Blair took it as a small victory. _I'm getting somewhere..._

"You _punched_ me Chuck," she repeated again, hoping the words hit him hard.

He looked desperate. "I didn't mean to punch you. I didn't mean to hurt you. I meant to punch-"

"Dan?" she cut in. "Sure, I could have gone without the black eye Chuck. But punching Dan wouldn't have made me feel any better. In fact, I would probably be even _more_ mad at you if you had punched him."

A look of confusion came across Chuck's face.

Feeling confidant and - _let's face it -_ particularly dominant in this conversation, Blair turned around and walked a couple steps down. She stopped when she was still higher up than him.

He took a step forward. "Blair, you have to understand how I'm feeling. You- you _know_ how I'm feeling. When I brought Eva back, you weren't a class act! You tried to sabotage her," he challenged.

Blair scoffed. "That's where you're wrong Chuck. Yes, I did try and take Eva down. But my intentions were always to protect _you._ When I found out she was a prostitute, I revealed it because I didn't want to see _you_ get hurt. If I was going to accept that you were going to be with someone other than me, they better deserve you_._ If _you_ were going to be happy with someone other than me, they better be a damn good person."

He was silent, so she continued.

"When you found out I kissed Dan...I understand that it was a shock. Chuck, it was a shock to me too. But when you punched him, you didn't think about _me._ Or about how Dan makes me _happy_. You did it for _you._ To feel good about _yourself_."

She paused and took a breath. He still wasn't saying anything, so she kept talking.

"Do you think it was easy for me to watch you with Eva? And then Raina?" She let the question echo through the room. "No, Chuck. It wasn't. But I dealt with it. And I think it's safe to say that I did it with some dignity. Sometimes you just need to fucking grow up."

She was surprised to hear how loud she was talking. Almost yelling. She softened her voice some. "Chuck, I know you better than anyone else. And I know you're capable of being a good person. But I am just so goddamn sick of watching you act the complete opposite. I am so furious with you for a number of reasons, but punching me is not the main one." She heard herself start to get emotional.

_Please don't get upset. _Please_ don't get upset._

"When Serena told me that you needed to talk with me, I left Dan. I left him to take care of you when you were so drunk it was repulsive. Because that's what friends do. And I had this hope that if something ever happened to me, no matter _who_ I was in love with, you would do the same for me." She took a breath to calm herself. "But when you punched me and screamed at Dan, it hit me that that might never happen. You may never get to that place. And that hurts to think about Chuck. And until that happens...I don't know if I can forgive you."

It seemed like those words hit him hardest. He looked unable to come up with a response.

Blair smoothed out her dress and looked at her watch. "I have to be somewhere soon. If you would excuse me, I must be going." She turned and walked up the stairs to her room. She let out a sigh in relief when she heard the elevators sound below, signaling his departure. She didn't stop the smile on her face.

She had a date to get ready for.

With _Dan Humphrey._

_

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_**A/N: **Still with me/interested? I have some stuff up my sleeve for the good old first date. Get excited. _**Review!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** I don't know what it was about this chapter, but it really gave me a hard time. ::sigh:: I don't want to give anything away, but I just wanted to say one quick note. I've never been to the destination of their date, so I based my descriptions off of pictures. Just in case something's not completely accurate. Thanks again so much for taking the time to review. I really appreciate it. Here's your longer chapter...enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gossip Girl.

* * *

Considering Dan had already requested she wear her new skinny jeans, it didn't take long for Blair to choose her outfit. After putting on a form-fitting red top that made her feel especially daring, she finished the outfit off by adorning her ears with diamond studs. _Classy, yet understated._

Her cheek was _finally_ back to its normal color, which Blair was absolutely thrilled about. For her makeup, she decided just some blush and mascara would do. For starters, this date seemed pretty casual. But in all honesty, Dan made her feel like the most beautiful girl in the universe; her makeup didn't really matter. She looked at the clock and realized Dan would be arriving at any moment. Her heart raced in excitement and decided last minute to put on some red lipstick. She quickly threw on a pair of heels and grabbed her purse and jacket. As she was walking down her curved staircase, her phone vibrated.

_meet me downstairs._

She smiled as she walked in the elevator and decided to give him a hard time: _poor first date etiquette, Humphrey. _

He texted her back as the elevator reached the ground level: _i'll make it up to u._

She chuckled as she walked towards the front entrance, spotting him immediately outside through the glass doors. _How can someone from Brooklyn be _that_ attractive?_

Dan's heart stopped the moment Blair walked outside.

Her chestnut curls were slightly messy and fucking sexy as hell.

Her top made him want to move the date to his bed.

Her skinny jeans made her legs go on forever.

The red lipstick almost made him faint on the spot.

And although he prided himself on being a casual guy, her high heels made him weak in the knees.

She. Was. Stunning.

"Hey," Blair said rather shyly, looking him over. He was wearing jeans as well, paired with a t-shirt that had some band name she didn't recognize on it. What surprised her the most was the leather jacket. It was _such_ a far cry from Chuck it was laughable. But she was sort of tired of suits and uncomfortable dresses. So...the leather jacket?

She wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hey," he said smiling, giving her a look that made her blood run warm. (Scratch that._ Searing._) "You're looking quite lovely tonight." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him.

"Thank you," she sighed, reacting immediately to the contact. She brought her hands up to his head and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Not so fast, Waldorf," Dan said before their lips met. Obviously, his heart and body were screaming at this request, her red lips _so incredibly_ tempting. But his mind had a better idea. Quickly, before a look of rejection made its way to her face, he explained himself. "This _is_ a first date after all. So I was thinking...how about we try _not_ to kiss?" There was an unmistakable glint in his eye.

Blair bit her lip and pulled back slightly, as if she were trying to figure out if he was kidding. She realized quickly, he was not. "Well," she said shortly, "This will prove to be a difficult evening."

He reeled her in close again. "Do I have that much of an effect on you?" He said the words dangerously close to her ear.

She shivered. "Of course not. I have self control," she said in an unconvincing voice.

"Good to know." He pulled away and saw her face was flushed. As much as he wanted to kiss her, (_tantalize her, tease her, take her,)_ he was enjoying watching her fidget impatiently. It was obvious this little game of his was more than a little frustrating to her.

(Hell, _him._)

She exhaled loudly. "So, Humphrey. Car? Taxi? Limo?"

He smirked. _She has no idea what's coming._ "How about...Vespa?" He stepped aside and it was only then that Blair noticed the crème colored Vespa behind him.

Her jaw dropped a little, not expecting this in the slightest. "Well this _is_ a night of firsts..."

"Perfect," he grinned. "Now all you have to do is wear...this." Out of nowhere, he produced a helmet.

She raised an eyebrow. "There is absolutely _no_ way I am wearing that." She crossed her arms.

"Oh yes you are," he replied, obviously enjoying this.

She sighed. "Humphrey, my hair looks fantastic tonight. I don't want to get helmet hair," she cringed.

"Come on Blair. The ride isn't that long."

Her face didn't change.

Dan continued, "Would _you_ want to explain to your parents and friends and the entire Upper East Side that 'Lonely Boy' crashed his Vespa and killed their precious Blair Waldorf?"

Blair resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Did you really just call yourself Lonely Boy?" She gave a small smile and gestured her hand for the helmet.

Dan grinned in defeat. "Allow me." She tilted her head up a little and he softly placed the helmet on her head.

When he buckled the helmet, Blair sighed at the feeling. His fingers lingered longer than necessary and left a trail of warmth across her chin. She shook her head. "First you say I can't kiss you, and then you force me to wear a helmet...unbelievable," she teased with a smirk.

Dan smiled at the helmet-clad Blair. He brought both hands up and tucked her curls behind her ears, and then held her head steady. Slowly, he leaned in and her breath hitched. He, however, averted her lips and pressed a whisper of kisses against her cheek. "That better?"

"Yes," she breathed, heart pounding in her chest.

"Good." He put a helmet on himself. "Now just sit behind me and hold on tight."

After Dan climbed on, she followed behind him. Once she got herself comfortable on the seat, she wrapped her arms tightly around him. "The things I do for you Humphrey," she said harmlessly with a smile.

He turned his head back towards her. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be..." And they were off.

Blair's pulse raced as they made their way through the city. Even though she was quite impressed by Dan's driving skills, she couldn't help but nearly shriek in fear every time a car got close to them. With each minute that went by, Blair's curiosity increased. She had no idea where they were going, but she quickly figured out that wherever it was, it was not in Manhattan.

The wind was chilly and Blair used it as the perfect excuse to tighten her hold of Dan. She rested her head on his back, reveling in the smell, and closed her eyes.

This Vespa ride made her feel alive. Dan made her feel alive. It was something she hadn't felt in a while. She didn't realize how much she had missed it.

A short time later, she felt them slow down. She opened her eyes and immediately widened them. For they had just pulled up at..._Coney Island._

To be completely honest, the place scared her a little. All her life, whenever someone said, "Coney Island," the words _hot dogs_ and _germs _and _hungry seagulls_ immediately always came to mind.

Dan parked the Vespa and carefully got off, holding out a hand to help Blair. She took it and stepped on the ground, her pulse finally returning to a normal beat. She then unbuckled her helmet and took it off.

Dan was relieved to see her hair still had its volume and curls. Still, he reached over and ruffled her curls a little, heightening her sexy look.

He noticed her wary face. "I know, I know. Coney Island isn't what you were expecting. But I promise it will be fun." He gave a hopeful smile.

"Can _I_ make a rule?" she inquired.

"Sure," Dan said, slightly hesitating.

"Promise me I won't _have_ to eat a hot dog."

He dramatically sighed. "Fiiine"

Blair gave a wide smile. "Then let's go."

They strolled hand in hand towards the summer wonderland. Blair couldn't quite believe it. Once she stepped onto the boardwalk, she immediately felt...

She didn't know. But the mixture of sweet smells, cheerful laughs, and strands of bulbed lights everywhere made her feel happy. Dan was always one to entice her out of her comfort zone, and this was no exception. But she really (_really_) liked him. Therefore, she would set aside her previous judgments and worries and enjoy herself.

Dan stopped walking once they were in the middle of the boardwalk. Since it wasn't fully summer yet, there wasn't much of a crowd; but most of the stands and rides were open anyway. He turned towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So Waldorf, what would you like to do first? Are you hungry?" Before she could answer though, he cut in again. "Wait- I know. You want to ride the roller coaster, don't you?" he teased with a sly grin.

She let out a laugh. "Um, I don't think so. You've obviously been here before. What do _you_ think we should do first?"

He squinted his eyes in thought. "I'm thinking we should head over to the games." And so they did. Blair, having never played any carnival games before, watched Dan try to toss a ring around a bottle's neck, collapse a stack of cups with a ball, and spin a roulette wheel. Once they came to the stand with the water guns, Dan insisted Blair try it.

"I don't know," Blair said warily, afraid she would look like a fool.

Dan gave her a convincing smile. "Come on Waldorf. All you have to do is aim the water at the target. The first person to blow up the balloon wins."

She bit her lip and nodded. "Okay!" They sat down next to each other and gripped the guns.

"Hey, Waldorf."

Blair turned and almost instantly narrowed her eyes. For Dan Humphrey had somehow steered his water gun so it was directly facing _her_.

"Dan Humphrey, so help me god. If you shoot me..." She didn't get to finish the sentence; thankfully the bell that signaled the start of the game went off. She smirked when she saw Dan quickly turn his gun back to the target, having lost seconds by his almost-prank.

Blair gave a small shriek when she heard the balloon pop, only realizing a moment later that it was _hers_. "Oh my gosh! I won!" she exclaimed. "This game is so much fun!"

"Blair," Dan said, gesturing with his hands to "tone it down."

"Well forgive me for celebrating my victory," she said, walking up so she was inches from him.

"We can celebrate all you want later," he said in a low voice, inches from her mouth. _Why the _hell_ did I say I can't kiss her?_ Before he drove himself too crazy, he explained himself a little more. "_I_ can handle being beaten by Blair Waldorf. That five-year-old on the other hand..." He pointed to the crying little girl beside them. "May not."

Blair's hand flew to her mouth. "I thought I was only playing you! Oh gosh. I exaggerated my victory a little didn't I?"

"Little bit," Dan said, eyes still on the child.

"Uh, excuse me, Lady? What prize would you like?" the teenager in the booth asked.

Blair glared at his use of "Lady" and turned to the little girl. Once she knelt down to her level, she said, "Sweetie, I have _so_ many stuffed animals at home, I don't think I can fit any more! Do you think you could pick something out and keep it for me?"

The sniffling girl suddenly broke out into a smile. "Okay," she said shyly, before scanning the options.

"That was rather nice of you," Dan said as she joined him again.

She winked in response and linked arms with him. "I'm starving. Where to?"

After walking down the boardwalk for a minute, Dan stopped at a bench. "I'll be right back." Blair eyed him curiously as he walked away. She saw him step up to the window of a burger joint and smiled despite herself. He was back shortly with some containers in his hands. He handed one to Blair and once she opened it, her heart dropped.

"You got me a hot dog?"

He quickly looked at her. "Oh! No. That's mine," he said, making her sigh in relief. "I got you the healthiest, non-greasy thing they had on the menu. Plus a water."

She took the container and opened it. A grilled chicken sandwich. "This is perfect," she replied, taking a bite. They ate side by side on the bench, watching various people walk by. There were families and teenagers and school groups wearing lime green shirts. However, Blair's favorite spotting were the older couples who walked hand in hand up and down the boardwalk. Even at their age, they still looked _so_ happy. She hoped she found that too.

"How about a walk?" Dan suggested finishing his meal, as if he could read her mind.

"Okay." She gathered their trash and threw it away. After linking arms once again, they meandered down the wooden planks. For the first few minutes, they walked in comfortable silence. But then Blair broke it. "Before you picked me up tonight, Chuck came over."

She felt him tense. "What did he want?" he asked, slowly down their pace.

"He came to apologize, but I said I wasn't ready to forgive him just yet."

"Oh yeah?" He sounded surprised.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "I also told him a bunch of other things I've been meaning to get off my chest for a while." She laughed. "It felt good."

"Good," he said, not really sure what the right response was.

"Enough about Chuck. What else is Coney Island known for?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I really want some ice cream," Dan said smiling, gesturing to the parlor next to them.

Blair nodded. "Can we share?"

"I like the way you think Waldorf," he said, taking her hand and walking up to the window.

"Evening, folks. What can I getcha?" said the cheery man behind the counter. "Our flavors are listed on the board right over there." He pointed to the sign on the wall.

Blair's eyes widened at the choices. There were no fewer than thirty kinds of ice cream. "_Good lord _you have a lot of flavors," she said in amazement. Her eyes scanned the list and she became slightly horrified when she read one of the flavors: Bacon. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, but her face quickly fell into a smile when she looked over at Dan.

He was utterly mesmerized. "Oh...my...gosh," Dan said in a dazed voice, as if he couldn't possibly believe there were that many choices. As ridiculous as it looked for a grown man to respond this way, Blair found it rather endearing.

"You know what?" Blair said, biting her smile. "I think I'll let you choose." She slowly backed away from the order window, chuckling at his conflicted face. Blair turned around to walk across the boardwalk and leaned on the railing overlooking the beach.

A good seven minutes later, Dan finally joined her. "I was starting to think you weren't going to return," Blair smirked.

"Of course I would return. This date isn't over," he said, handing her a spoon."

She smiled and felt some relief. She wasn't ready for it to end just yet. "You know they're hiring," Blair teased, a smile adorning her lips.

Dan let out a laugh. "Not gonna lie, I actually saw the sign too." He looked down at the beach. "Let's go sit on the sand."

"Okay." She took the hand that he offered and followed him down the old wooden stairs. The sun had completely set, but thanks to the boardwalk lights, there was a nice glow that didn't make it feel so dark.

Once they found the perfect spot, Blair started to sit down. "Wait!" Dan said, stopping her. "Let me do this first."

Completely confused, Blair watched him take a pile of napkins out of his pocket. He carefully (and slowly) laid them each down on the sand, making somewhat of a seat.

"What is that?" Blair said, hoping it wasn't what she thought it was.

"I figured you wouldn't want to get sand on your jeans." He shook his head in embarrassment.

Blair's heart warmed. "Am I really that bad?"

Dan's silence answered her.

She chuckled. "You know what? These jeans have already touched the Vespa, the bench, and whatever other dirty thing I've sat on tonight. I think sand will be just fine." She gracefully sat down and patted the spot next to her. "Come on Humphrey. The ice cream in melting."

This comment snapped him out of his slight shock, and he joined her on the ground. Blair's pulse raced when she felt how close he was; their entire sides were touching and she had a feeling he did it _absolutely_ on purpose.

She didn't really care. (She actually kind of loved it.)

"Now what flavor did you pick?" In all honesty, she was more than a little curious to see what he had picked out. It _did_ take him seven minutes after all.

"I ended up not being able to choose. So I left it up to the guy," he said truthfully, digging his spoon into the cup. Blair followed suite. "Okay. On the count of three, we'll try it. One...two...three."

They both placed the spoons in their mouths. Dan's eyes were glued to Blair's lips, and Blair's were glued to his.

Once the ice cream hit her tongue, all Blair could taste was the most horrid, disgusting flavor ever created. She somehow managed to swallow, and tried to cover up her grimace. Dan was far too excited about this ice cream for her to ruin it.

"Mmm," Dan said in a flat, unconvincing tone.

"Yeah," Blair replied back, silently wishing she had mouthwash. A_ soda_, god forbid. _Anything._

"Okay, I lied," Dan said quickly, breaking out into laughter.

"Me too," Blair laughed, feeling relieved he felt the same way. "What _is_ that?"

Dan grimaced. "Ugh. I have no idea, but it is horrible."

He looked at Blair, who was now giggling uncontrollably. She looked so relaxed, so carefree, so..._happy_. In the past week, his feelings for her had done a complete one-eighty.

She noticed his gaze. "What?" she asked innocently, still laughing.

He shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers, and brought his hand up to cup her neck. Slowly, he leaned in to kiss her and subsequently pulled her onto his lap to straddle him. She sighed into his mouth when he deepened it and raked her fingers through his hair. After one glorious minute of their mouths fused together, they pulled away for a breath.

"I change my mind," Blair whispered hotly against his cheek. "I think I like that ice cream."

That comment seemed so risqué for Blair Waldorf, Dan couldn't help but kiss her again. Once she opened her addicting mouth for him, he groaned. "You're...breaking...our...rules...Humphrey..." she somehow said between kisses.

"Screw it," he replied before moving his lips to her neck, making her gasp in pleasure.

"Get a room!" some voice called from the boardwalk. Blair's blood boiled.

She pulled away from him. "Daniel?" she said, feigning sweetness. She ran a light finger down the side of his face. "Could you please go beat him up?"

Dan laughed and kissed her quickly. "Aw, come on. We both know it would be more fun if you did it."

She gave a smug smile. "Yes, well. I always win when I want to."

Dan laughed and ran his hands up her arms. "So, we have to do _one_ more thing before we go."

"Throw away that ice cream?" she guessed, leaning in to softly kiss his cheek.

"Okay, two things," he chuckled. They both stood up and immediately linked hands. After finding a garbage can, they strolled down the boardwalk once again.

Blair knew where they were headed once she saw it.

The Ferris Wheel.

Thanks to the offseason crowd, Blair and Dan walked right onto the ride. Once they were inside the little cage, Dan sat down on the bench and Blair sat down on the one across from him.

A moment later, the wheel started to rotate. Even though they were soon high off the ground, where the views would surely be amazing, Dan's eyes were glued to Blair. She looked only slightly frightened, but besides that, it was like she didn't know where to look first. With a wide smile, she peered down at the ocean and boardwalk, then out the left side to try and find Manhattan. Finally, her eyes met Dan's.

"I've never been on a Ferris Wheel before," she admitted.

"Seriously?" he asked, unable to understand how that was possible. "Carnivals, fairs, and amusement parks are _always_ a part of every kid's childhood."

She sighed. "Well, not mine." She smiled sadly.

"Well, one: it's a good thing I brought you here tonight then. And two: why are you sitting all the way over there Waldorf?" He carefully made his way over to her bench.

His weight shifted their entire tiny cabin, making Blair gasp. "Humphrey! Don't move!"

"Relax," he said, wrapping his arm around her side. "You're safe."

Blair's heart was still racing, but she had a feeling it wasn't just from their little scare. She tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his, feeling his smile too. "Thanks for tonight, Humphrey. It was really fun."

"I'm glad," he said, pulling her closer. They rode the ride for a little while, taking in the view and talking about random things. Once it was over, the walked back to the Vespa and made their way back into the city.

Blair was slightly disappointed when he pulled up at her building. "No loft, Humphrey?" she frowned.

He shrugged. "I was thinking since this was our first date, I should drop you off."

"Hmm, well _I_ was thinking that since we already broke your "no kissing" rule _and_ have had sex already, we could just go back to your place. I was kind of hoping that's where this night was going." She got off the bike and handed him her helmet. "But if this is what you want..." She sauntered her way slowly to the front entrance.

His hands grabbed her waist to stop her. "No chance in hell, Waldorf," he said, spinning her around and capturing her lips.

"Good," she mumbled against his mouth. "Now let's get out of here."

Dan drove as fast as he could to loft where he was _finally_ able to move the date to his bed.

* * *

**A/N:** So my real life is going to be really crazy for the next week. I hate to say this, but I may not be updating as often as I would like. I will reallllly try, but bear with me. How was this chapter? _**Review!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Thanks for all of the reviews. I loved and appreciated each one of them. Hope you enjoy the chapter! :) And please read the author's note at the end. Sorry if there are grammar/spelling mistakes. I checked 4 times but you never know.

Special thanks to SBC, for always being a cheerleader. :)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.**

* * *

Two months had passed since Blair and Dan's first date, and summer had finally arrived. With the stress of finals over, one would think (or_, _Dan would think) that that meant at least _some _relaxation.

But according to Blair Waldorf?

She laughed at the thought.

After going through an arduous application process, (_without _calling in any favors, she proudly declares) Blair landed her dream internship at Vogue. In celebration for her big day, Dan had come over the Waldorf apartment and made Blair dinner. He had brought chocolate covered strawberries for dessert and once Blair licked the chocolate off his face, he was a goner. With her mother in France and Dorota gone for the day, he couldn't _not_ spend the night.

The morning of her first day, Blair dreamily roused from sleep, smile on her face. With one look at her, Dan could instantly tell what she was thinking about. "Blair, you _do_ realize you won't be having lunch with Anna Wintour every day right?"

"Shush," she snapped harmlessly. "You have no idea what happens inside of Vogue. Anything is possible." She ignored his rolling eyes.

"Right."

After he was shooed out of the room so she could get ready, he headed downstairs to make her breakfast. He already knew she would decline whatever he made, fruit or omelette. By this point in their relationship, he knew her so well, he could pinpoint when her adrenaline would diminish and when her nerves would kick in. So when she appeared downstairs thirty minutes later, slightly pale despite her blush and visibly shaking despite her courage, he was hardly surprised. He folded the newspaper and got up to meet her.

She looked too scared to speak, so he did.

"You're going to be great. _You _got this internship. _You._ Vogue doesn't hand out jobs to just anyone. _You _deserve to be there." He put his hands on her shoulders and lightly shook her. "Relax. You gonna blow them out of the fucking water."

Her lips curved upward into a smile and she took a deep breath.

"Now I am making you an omelette and _you_ are going to eat it."

She gave him a look that said _don't even think about it_ and let it go. After finally getting her to eat some fruit, he considered his day a success.

Out on the sidewalk, Dan kissed her deeply, and all nerves fizzled out of her. She had grown to be almost addicted to him, and all she wanted to do was tear his clothes off and crawl back into bed with him. But before she could even attempt to do this, his lips grazed her ear. "Knock 'em dead," he whispered and then backed away. "I'll see you later at the Loft," he said, still walking backwards. And when she turned the other direction, he called out once more. "Waldorf!" Smirk upon her face, she turned to him. "You'll do great." And with that, he winked and walked away.

**::**

Once Dan opened the Loft door, the air felt different.

_Her internship_.

His heart dropped, knowing the dramatics were about to go through the roof.

"Blair?" he called, shutting the door.

A beat passed.

"Don't you _dare_ come in here Humphrey!"

He walked up to the source of her voice, shaking his head at the closed bedroom (garage) door.

"This is _my_ room, Blair," he laughed.

"Humphrey, _so help me god_, if you come in here-" Her voice stopped when he slid open the door.

Dan studied the scene before him in shock, blinking furiously to make sure he wasn't losing his eyesight.

Blair Waldorf was snuggled under his sheets, in his NYU sweatshirt, eating _ice cream_.

"Don't say it," was all she said.

He furrowed his brow. "Say what?"

"I told you so."

"Why would I say that?" Dan sighed. Instead of going for the dramatics, (_okay, she did a little_), Blair went the heart-tugging route. When he sat down beside her on the bed, he saw her struggling to hold back tears. He wordlessly took the container of ice cream out of her hands and placed it on the bedside table. Then, sliding his arms underneath her, he curled her into his body. She buried her face in his shirt in the hopes that it would stop the mortifying tears attempting to roll its way down her cheeks.

"Was it that bad?" he asked, albeit hesitating.

"I don't want to talk about it," she muffled.

"Okay," he agreed, rubbing his hands up and down her back. "But for the record, wasn't _I_ the one who thought you were going to do great?"

He felt her take a deep breath against him and then slowly prop herself up on his chest. Although she moved quickly, he still got a glimpse of her tear-streaked cheeks before she kissed him. Her mouth immediately relaxed against his and their lips soon moved in sync. He lifted his hands from her hips and brought them up to her face, thumbing away the leftover tears, before trailing his lips down from her cheek to her ear.

"Tomorrow will be better," he mumbled against her ear. "Tonight on the other hand..." Blair's mouth swallowed his words as she covered his lips with hers. She moved so she was lying completely on top of him, and shuddered at his eager hands and mouth that were touching _everywhere_.

_Yes,_ Blair thought as her eyes fluttered closed. _Tonight will be _much_ better._

**::**

And somehow, the next day was too. Blair slowly got into the groove of her internship, and although she soon realized she would definitely _not_ be eating lunch with Anna Wintour everyday, she could very well correspond with her one day if she worked hard.

She already had a one-up on all of the other interns. Her fellow coworkers came from all across the country, so Blair inwardly put a check next to her name for being familiar with the city _and_ its fashion. Dan helped proof read all of the blog posts and articles she had to write; her boss was continually impressed by the lack of spelling and grammar mistakes. Most importantly, Blair knew how to carry an intelligent conversation about all topics, related to Vogue or not. After growing up and attending Upper East Side parties, she had been thrust into conversations with incredibly important people. Blair was always impeccably polite, extremely respectful, and always very knowledgeable about all current events. She had always been seen as mature, (at least when she was not scheming), and every one of her bosses and editors at Vogue noticed.

The first few weeks at her internship had her with little free time. Blair had barely seen Serena for more than a few minutes each day– despite the fact that they still lived across from each other. So when a late meeting was postponed until the following day, Blair cancelled on an understanding Dan and called her best friend.

"For old time's sake. Butter. 7:30."

Serena squealed on the other end of the line and Blair couldn't help but feel excited about their girls night out.

"Where's Serena?" Dan asked from Blair's bed, eyes never leaving the computer screen. Blair had assigned him to proofread a blog post while she was out, but she was taking so long to get ready, he had to do _something_ to cure his boredom. "Isn't she right next door?"

"No, she's coming from some mysterious location. She wouldn't tell me," Blair whined from inside her closet. "Something's up with her. And I'm _determined_ to find out tonight." She reappeared in his view and Dan was glad the laptop was beside him on the bed; otherwise he would have dropped it.

Blair was wearing a form-fitting dress that ended right above her knee. The bold red color made Dan's heart stop, and if he didn't already know that Serena would be livid if Blair didn't show, he would have ripped the dress right off her there.

"How do I look?" Blair asked, looking down at herself and smoothing the material, completely unaware of his speechless reaction.

Dan cleared his throat and forced himself to coolly reply, "You look good. _Really_ good."

She slowly sauntered over to him. "That's the best you can do? You know for a writer..."

Blair couldn't even finish her sentence before he was off the bed and pulling her into his arms, crashing his lips against hers. She moaned into his mouth when she felt him claw at her back, blindly trying to locate the zipper of her dress. She shook her head and regretfully pulled away from him. "I can't be late."

He was breathing deeply, eyes clouded with lust. "Seriously?"

"I know, I'm sorry." She kissed him soundly and raked her fingers through his hair. Their tongues were soon dueling for control, and Blair forced herself to pull away again. "And even though it's completely out of the way, I will stop by the loft on my way home."

"Fine," he sighed, kissing her once more. Taking his hand, she grabbed her purse and led the way downstairs.

**::**

Once she walked into the Butter, she spotted Serena right away. The blonde shined through the crowds, and Blair watched in amusement as the bartender mistakenly took Serena's drink order as a way to flirt with her. Serena never did fully understand her effect over men, always oblivious to the fact that it only took a simple smile to reel them in. Shaking her head, she approached the bar, wanting to stop the poor guy from trying any further. "Sorry I'm late," she said, making herself comfortable on the stool next to Serena.

"B!" The two friends hugged and ordered Blair's drink. As Serena lunged into catching up with her life, Blair took in Serena once again. She literally glowed; Blair hadn't seen her look this happy since before she found out about her and Dan.

Taking a sip of her gin martini, she eyed her friend. "So, S. What is going on in your love life?"

Serena's mouth twisted into a suspicious smile, prompting a grin to appear on Blair. Serena was never good at hiding things. "I can see through you like glass, S. You know that."

"I never kiss and tell," Serena tried to retort, knowing she was losing this game fair and square.

"Oh puh-lease," she said rolling her eyes. "Fair attempt, S, but it's not working. Spill."

Serena gave a dramatic sigh, one her friend heard far too often. It no longer worked on Blair.

"I may or may not be rekindling things with an old flame," she said in a flirtatious tone.

Blair's jaw dropped. "Details."

Serena shook her head. "That's all your getting out of me," she replied, a smirk teasing her lips.

Blair breathed out a laugh. "It's amazing," she said, voice dripping in sarcasm. "Sometimes you forget what I'm capable of finding out."

"_B_,_" _Serena warned. "Please don't try and dig for something. I will let you know details when I want to."

"Fine," Blair sighed, but still looked annoyed, nonetheless. "But I've been waiting _so_ long for this. We can finally double date!"

Rolling her eyes, Serena took another sip of her cosmo, hiding her smile. "Onto the next topic. How's the internship? I want to know everything."

So Blair told her everything– including her horrible first day. Serena gaped at the story that described a very un-Blair-like day. From going to the wrong floor to spilling her bosses coffee all over her desk to sending an important email to the wrong person, Blair retold the mortifying story for the _last_ time. Dan had heard it, and now Serena had heard it. _No one else_, Blair vowed to herself.

A few hours later, a slightly tipsy Blair made her way into the loft. Dan was sitting on the couch watching the news, and when he heard the door open, he merely rested his head back on the couch. She padded her way over to him, bending over his head and dropping a messy kiss on his lips. From his spot, Dan watched her waltz into his room. A moment later, she reappeared with one of his t-shirts on. After taking a washcloth to her face to rub the makeup off, she joined him on the couch. She wasn't even sitting for two minutes before she slid her way onto his lap, straddling him. He ran his hands up her thighs and under her (_his_) shirt, and groaned when he felt no lace.

"I missed you tonight," she purred, nipping his lips.

"You have no idea," he said, picking her up and making his way to his room. "You're sexy when you're drunk," he said once they made it to the bed, slipping off her shirt.

"I'm always sexy," she playfully corrected, and didn't need to be told twice all night. And despite the massive hangover and hellish commute she would have in the morning (thanks to being in Brooklyn), she didn't care one bit.

She was with him.

* * *

**A/N:** Again, I am so so sorry for my absence. I still love this story but have absolutely NO clue how I would continue it. So many episodes have aired since I stopped writing this, and so much has happened. Some good and some bad. For now I have been focusing on my other story. I think once I'm done "How They Bloom" I'll start a new one. For Dair, of course. :)

So, my question for you is...would you like me to continue this? Any ideas? I will most definitely take them into consideration since I am at a loss. Or, I could just end it.

In the meantime, how was this chapter? _**Reviews are always loved and appreciated.**_


	11. Epilogue

**A/N: **So here it is...the final chapter. Apologies that it took awhile. Thanks to all of the readers who have stuck with me. It's shorter than all of the other chapters, but it got to a point where it didn't need any more. Enjoy!

This one's for Sara (browncolorado), for kindly being on my case about writing this. :) But mainly because her honest feedback helped me immensely. I almost feel like part of this is yours.

**Diclaimer: **I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.

Summer continued passing by, something Dan and Blair found bittersweet. Their internships, albeit enlightening, were tiring and stressful, and they found themselves longing for the familiar routine of classes and studying. However, the closer the school year came, the more Dan found he would miss their _new_ routine from the summer. He would finish his days later than Blair, exhausted and practically stumbling into the Loft at night. But he would stumble into _her_.

Most days were the same. Blair's workdays transitioned from the office to his bed, where he would find her laying with her laptop. She would rarely react to his presence, eyes never leaving her screen, and continue typing away. He would drop his bags and fall onto the bed, during which she'd shut her computer and place it on the table beside her, rolling over on top of him. They would kiss before they even said _hi._

And in the morning, Dan's alarm clock would be Blair kissing his face, and the thought of going through the whole day again made him want to roll over and fall asleep. But then he would see her tangled in his sheets and he couldn't help but think that this _– her – _made it all worth it.

"I like you, you know that?" he always said, tucking a curl behind her ear.

"Hmm," she hummed into his lips. "I like you too."

So although he wished for the summer to be over, he held onto it tightly.

**::**

"_We_ are going out tonight," Blair announced the last Friday of their internships. They were walking towards their offices, stopping to get some coffee on the way.

"And where are we going?" Dan asked, handing Blair her tea.

"We are meeting Serena and her mystery guy at Freeman's to celebrate the end of summer and the start of the school year." She stopped. "_And_ finally meeting the guy."

"How is it that you've gone the entire summer without finding out who he is? Are you losing your touch?" he teased, earning himself a glare.

It wasn't until later that Blair repeated the exact same thing back to _him_. Inwardly, they both sort of knew who the guy was, but still, they were a little shocked to see Nate's arm wrapped around Serena at the table. Before they even greeted the couple, Blair turned to Dan with a playful, closed-mouthed smile. "Are _you_ losing _your_ touch? He _is_ your best friend, right?" Blair asked tongue-in-cheek, lightly patting him on the chest. They both took their seats cross from their friends.

"Although I'm very happy to see it's you Nate, I can't help but feel that after _all_ that suspense, Serena's reveal is a little disappointing," Dan joked, feeling Blair hit him a little harder.

Nate gasped, faking outrage. "Hey! You should always be excited to see me."

"I am," Serena said almost _too_ blissfully, leaning over to kiss Nate. And just like that, Dan and Blair ended all jokes and moved onto feeling relieved that not only did they know the guy–they _liked _him.

**::**

Summer turned to autumn, and although fall fashion commenced seamlessly, college did not. The honeymoon phase of summer had fallen fast, and Dan and Blair felt it.

Their classes were shifted last minute, so they had less time with each other, and when they did, Blair was often too exhausted to go all the way to Brooklyn to see him. Which would start a fight on why _he_ couldn't come see _her_.

Fall turned to winter, and they adjusted to their new schedules. Although they still argued often, at this point, they had figured each other out. They knew what the right and wrong things to say were, and who always got to have the last word. (_Blair_).

But as their fights got worse, their make-ups got better. They would always get to a point in the yelling match where they would forget what they hell they were fighting about and stare lustfully into each others eyes. Their aggression would turn into passion and clothes were ripped off and discarded and Blair would scream Dan's name for a whole new reason.

"I like you, you know that?" Blair would breathily say, chest rising and falling from their latest make-up.

"I know," he would reply back with a cocky grin, rolling onto her. "I like you too." And then he would capture her lips and do it all over again.

Winter turned to spring, and that fateful day fell upon them again. The day that started them. Only a year had passed since she demanded for that one kiss; although it felt like so much longer.

This year, it fell on a Friday. They hadn't mentioned the special day to each other, both acting as if it were an ordinary day. Blair had no classes and inwardly hated that Dan had two. She wanted the whole day to be about _them_; after all, it _was_ their anniversary. But she knew she couldn't really be mad because...well, they had both never even _acknowledged_ that the day was here.

Blair was expecting to sleep in and sulk in his bed, his clothes, his smell. But instead, she woke to one of her favorite feelings–his lips. She couldn't help but smile as she groggily came to, and drowsily pursed her lips for a kiss. He obliged, and when she opened her eyes, she smiled wider. She was usually the one to wake him up most mornings, and although she loved it, she always felt slightly jipped that he never did the same to her. She could get used to this.

Her eyes caught the clock and she frowned slightly. "What are you still doing here? You're supposed to be in class."

He sat up, resting against the brick wall behind, pulling her up with him. "All of my classes were cancelled today."

She raised a brow. "_All_ of your classes were cancelled? Why?"

He shrugged. "Massive heat wave."

"It's February."

"Does it matter? I'm here."

She moved so she was straddling him, adjusting the sheet around her frame. She stared at him for a moment before kissing him, playfully nipping his bottom lip. "You remembered," she said without question in her tone, nestling her face in the crook of his neck.

"Of course I did."

They spent the morning in bed, until their hunger for food overwhelmed their hunger for each other. It was an unseasonably warm day for February, so they went to the market with three things in mind: a salad for her, a sandwich for him, and some bread for the ducks. Parking themselves on the bench by the pond, they ate and threw pieces of baguettes, talking about the past year and all it brought. For her: letting go of a few dreams and plans she had set out for herself for a long time. And for him: learning how to re-give his heart to someone from her world.

Dan looked over at Blair. Although it was warmer than it had been in weeks, there was still a bite to the air. She sat huddled under a blanket, rubbing her mittened hands together to warm them, sniffling every now and then. Even now, she was simply irresistible to Dan, so he didn't hesitate closing the distance between them, so he could wrap his arms around her. When he took her hands in his, she smiled up at him. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were glistening from the wind. His heart caught at her beauty. She gave him a whisper of a wink, and then looked back out at the pond.

"I love you, you know that?" Dan said, breaking the silence.

He heard her breath hitch and felt her body stiffen; she looked back up at him, eyes matching his. "Actually, I didn't," she replied completely honestly.

"I love you more than anything...any_one. _I don't know why it took me so long to say it, but I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"Really?" she asked, even though she knew he was telling her the absolute truth.

He leaned down and kissed her soundly, answering her. He pulled away gently, so their noses were just touching. "I love you too," she said, reveling in the fact that for the first time, she truly meant every word.

They kissed once more and then got up together. Blair was still wrapped in the blanket, and Dan was still wrapped around her.

After that kiss, that life-changing kiss, the year had been the best of their life. They couldn't wait for the many more to come.

A/N: I would love to hear your final thoughts. :)


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